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OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 
OF LONG AGO 



THE 

LITTLE COUSINS OF LONG AGO 
SERIES 

Each volume illustrated with full page plates in 
tints. 

Cloth, i2mo , with decorative cover. 

Per volume , 60 cents 

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Our Little Macedonian Cousin of Long 
Ago 

Our Little Roman Cousin of Long Ago 
Our Little Athenian Cousin of Long Ago 
Our Little Spartan Cousin of Long Ago 
Our Little Carthaginian Cousin of Long 
Ago 

Our Little Norman Cousin of Long Ago 

IN PREPARATION 

Our Little Theban Cousin of Long Ago 
Our Little Viking Cousin of Long Ago 
Our Little Saxon Cousin of Long Ago 
Our Little Florentine Cousin of Long 
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THE PAGE COMPANY 
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The Little Cousins of Long Ago Series 


OUR LITTLE 
NORMAN COUSIN 
OF LONG AGO 

Being a Story of Normandy 
in the time of William the 
Conqueror 


BY 

EVALEEN STEIN 

Author of “The Christmas Porringer,** 
“Gabriel and the Hour Book,” etc. 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

JOHN GOSS 



BOSTON 

THE PAGE COMPANY 
MDCCCCXV 


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Copyright, 1915, by 
The Page Company 

All rights reserved 


First Impression, August, 1915 


r 

©CI.A410252 

AUG 28 1915 


To 

my young friend 


SOPHIE WOLCOTT STUART 
whose enthusiastic interest in 
story-book land is an inspiration 
to one venturing within 
its charmed borders 



Preface 


Very likely all you boys and girls of the age 
of the children in this story will learn, by and 
by, how important a part in history was played 
by the people of Normandy, especially under 
their great Duke, William the Conqueror. 
And then, if you have read this little book, 
perhaps you will say to yourselves, “ Why, yes, 
we remember about those people, how they 
lived and what the children did in the days of 
Duke William! ” And if you read carefully 
your histories, and books of manners and cus- 
toms, and tales of that time, perhaps you will 
say also, “ The doings of Our Little Norman 
Cousin of Long Ago must have been true ! At 
any rate we are quite sure the author tried 
very hard to make those Norman children in 
the story behave as proper eleventh-century 
boys and girls ought to.” 


Evaleen Stein. 




























Contents 


CHAPTER PAGE 

Preface vii 

I. An Invitation i 

II. The Castle of Noireat . . . . 13 

III. Rolf the Ganger 20 

IV. Blanchette and Marie .... 28 

V. “The Mystery of the Rivers” . . 39 

VI. Little Duke Richard 49 

VII. The Tournament 62 

VIII. Old Herve Tells Another Story . 71 

IX. Hugh Becomes a Knight .... 82 

X. On the Way to Dives 90 

XI. Waiting for the Wind .... 104 

XII. The Duchess Matilda’s Gift . .110 

















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List of Illustrations 


♦ 

PAGE 

Henri and Alan .... Frontispiece 

“ Brought dishes of beans, cabbage, tur- 
nips AND OTHER VEGETABLES ” . . l8 

“The boys . . . took a fencing lesson 

from Hugh ” 49 

“ Blowing short, sharp blasts on a 

TRUMPET " 67 

“ ‘ In THE NAME OF GOD AND SAINT MlCHAEL 

I DUB THEE KNIGHT ’ ” . . .88 

“ The ships floated quietly at the mouth 

of the river Dives ” 109 


Pronunciation of Proper Names 


Bayeux (ba-yuh') 

Brecey (bree-sa') 

Briouze (bree-ooz') 
Brit'-tan-y 
Bur'-gun-dy 
Caen (kon) 

Centeville (sont-vee-'ye) 
Crecy (kra-see') 

Dives (deev) 

Epte (ept) 

Eu (uh) 

Falaise (fal-aze') 

Gervaise (jer-vaz') 

Goelet (jo-lay') 

Guibray (je-bra') 

Laon (Ion) 

Noireat (nwar-e-a') 

Rouen (rwan) 

Seine (sane) 

Val-es-Dunes (val-a-dune') 
Valognes (val-own') 


x 


Our Little Norman Cousin 
of Long Ago 


CHAPTER I 

AN INVITATION 

It was a May morning in Normandy in the 
year 1066, and through all the grassy valleys 
the pear and apple trees were clouds of white 
and rosy bloom. Some of them overhung the 
little thatched huts of the peasant folk, which 
stood close together making the tiny village of 
Noireat; and some of the flowery trees clam- 
bered up the lower slopes of the steep lime- 
stone cliff that rose behind the village. Crown- 
ing this cliff was the great gray castle of Count 
Bertram, the lord of Noireat. 

Within the walls of the castle was a large 
courtyard, where two boys were playing ball. 
Each was dressed in a tunic of dark green cloth; 
that is, a close-fitting garment belted at the waist 
1 


2 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


and with a scant skirt reaching to just above the 
knee ; on the boys’ legs were long black hose and 
on their feet shoes of thick soft leather with- 
out heels and with long pointed toes; on their 
heads were little caps, each with a black cock’s 
feather stuck into a buckle at one side. 

Presently, “ Hark, Alan ! ” cried one of the 
boys, “ I thought I heard a trumpet! ” 

Both lads paused in their play; then as they 
caught clearly another shrill blast, u Come, 
Henri,” said Alan, “ let us go to the battlements 
and see who is coming! ” 

Off they scampered across the courtyard, 
through a narrow doorway in a strong tower 
near the gate of the castle and up a winding 
flight of stone steps that led to the top of the 
wall. This wall, which inclosed the castle, and 
to which parts of it were joined, was very thick 
and strong; and in a small tower over the gate- 
way stood a man-at-arms whose duty it was to 
watch all who came thither, and, if foes, to warn 
the lord so that he might make ready to defend 
himself. For in those days noblemen often 
made war on one another and people who lived 
in castles expected to keep constant watch for 


enemies. 


AN INVITATION 


3 


But they were quite as often friends as foes 
who rode along the steep bridle path to Noi- 
reat; for people played almost as much as they 
fought, and liked entertainment as well as we 
do to-day. 

As Alan and Henri reached the top step of 
the winding stair, the man-at-arms, who had 
been gazing down at the bridle path, turned, 
and said with a smile, “ Well, youngsters, I 
think we may look for one of those play fights 
that folks call tourneys. I’ll wager yonder 
horsemen are coming to invite Count Bertram, 
for they are heralds of his friend the Baron of 
Brecey. Do you see that zig-zag green band 
and the three red spots worked on the little 
flags hanging from their trumpets? That is 
the device of the Baron of Brecey.” 

The lads looked eagerly down at the two 
riders who were by this time quite near the gate- 
way, and, sure enough, they could make out the 
embroidery of which the watchman spoke. 

“ I don’t think that device is so handsome as 
the red two-legged dragon on Count Bertram’s 
flag,” said Alan critically. 

“ Why does he have that dragon on his flag, 
and his shield, too? ” asked Henri. 


4 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“ Well,” answered the watchman, rubbing his 
forehead, “ I don’t exactly know. Maybe 
Count Bertram, or some of his kinfolks, fought 
a red two-legged dragon somewhere, or maybe 
he just liked its looks. I don’t know either 
whether there is any particular meaning to those 
spots and things the Baron of Brecey has. But 
it’s a good thing for a knight to have some kind 
of a device.” 

“ Why is it? ” asked Alan. 

“ Why, there is a reason for it, youngster,” 
said the watchman, “ and it’s this; when they go 
to fight in war or those play-battle tourneys or 
tournaments, or whatever they call them, their 
faces and bodies are so covered up by the armor 
they have to wear to protect themselves, that 
no one can tell who they are unless they have a 
device somewhere about them, painted on their 
shields or worked on their banners. And as 
most of the knights know the devices of the 
rest, it is about as good as having one’s name 
told to everybody. The trouble is though that 
they don’t all stick to the device they pick out, 
but a good many of them change it sometimes 
when they take a notion to, and that gets people 
mixed up about their names.” 


AN INVITATION 


5 


“ Count Bertram always has the red two- 
legged dragon,” said Henri. 

u Yes,” replied the watchman, “ and he says 
that by and by all the knights will have to settle 
on regular devices and hand them down in their 
families, so people can always be sure who they 
are. — And maybe they will,” he added. 

But while Alan and Henri had been talking 
with the watchman, the heralds had reached the 
gate of the castle where they halted and each 
blew another shrill blast on his trumpet. 

At this the lads, with eyes dancing, turned 
about and racing down the stairs and back to the 
courtyard joined a group of younger boys, all, 
like themselves, pages in the household. In- 
deed, everybody in the castle had come into the 
courtyard by this time, from Count Bertram, the 
lord of Noireat and Lady Gisla, his wife, down 
to the cooks and scullions; for visitors were 
few, and if they came on peaceful errands were 
always warmly welcomed. 

Meantime Master Herve, the gate-keeper, 
opened the heavy door at the end of an arched 
passage under the watch-tower and let down the 
narrow drawbridge that was held up by ropes 
to the castle wall. Outside the wall was the 


6 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


moat, a ditch filled with water deep enough to 
drown any one who tried to ride through it; 
and the drawbridge was so called because it 
could be drawn up and folded against the wall 
until the gate-keeper knew whether it was friend 
or foe who wished to enter. 

As now the two horsemen rode into the court- 
yard of Noireat, a pair of little pages hurried 
out and held their bridles while Alan and Henri 
helped them dismount. One of the heralds then 
blew a third blast on his trumpet as the other, 
taking his place on the high curb of a well near 
by and raising his voice, called out “ My master, 
the Baron of Brecey, sends greeting to the 
Count of Noireat and his household, and pro- 
claims a tourney to be held four weeks from to- 
day in the meadow adjoining his castle, and he 
invites all Norman knights who so desire to 
contest for the prizes, which will be a pair of 
gilded spurs for the first champion and a silver 
hunting-horn for him adjudged second win- 
ner! ” 

When he had finished, everybody clapped 
their hands; and “ Oh, Henri,” whispered Alan, 
“ do you suppose Count Bertram will take us 
along? ” 


AN INVITATION 


7 


“ I’m sure I hope so! ” answered Henri. 

“ What is a tourney? ” asked one of the lit- 
tle pages, in a low voice, as he clung tightly to 
the bridle of the herald’s horse. 

“ Why,” said Henri, with a superior air, for 
he had been to one, “ it is a kind of game where 
knights ride on horseback and fight for fun. 
Their lances aren’t sharp, and they don’t try to 
kill each other, but only to see which is the best 
fighter, and he gets a prize. The most beauti- 
ful lady there gives it to him. And there are 
always lots of ladies go, for somebody has to 
look on, you know, and most all the men are do- 
ing the fighting.” 

“ Oh,” said the little page, with round eyes, 
“ I wish I could go ! ”' 

“ You probably can’t, though,” said Henri. 
“ You are too little.” 

At this tears sprang to the eyes of the little 
page, who was only seven years old and very 
homesick for the castle of Briouze, which was 
his real home and from which he had lately 
been brought to Noireat. “ Oh,” he sobbed, 
“ I wish I was home ! Father would let me go ! 
I don’t see why everybody has to live in some- 
body else’s house, anyway ! I don’t know why 


8 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


I had to come here ! ” and he began to cry in 
good earnest. 

“ There,’’ said Henri, taking the bridle from 
his shaking little hand, “ don’t cry! You must 
be here, because your father is a vassal of Count 
Bertram. So is my father and Alan’s and all 
the other pages’. That’s why we’re here, too. 
And I’m twelve and have been here five years. 
You’ll like it when you get used to it; — isn’t 
everybody good to you? ” 

“ Y-e-s,” sobbed the little page, “ but I want 
mother!” Here his tears broke out afresh. 
“ Why — why can’t I go home? ” he quavered. 

“ Because,” said Henri severely, “ you’re 
here to be trained. You will be a page for 
seven years and learn to mind, and run errands, 
and ride a pony, and ever so many things, and 
then you will be a squire for seven years more, 
and learn how to go hunting on horseback, and to 
fight, and lots more things, and then, if you have 
behaved right, when you are twenty-one you will 
be made a knight! ” and Henri’s eyes sparkled 
as he added, “ And just think how grand that 
will be! You will have your own war-horse 
and armor and spurs and lance and banner and 
can ride out and go where you please and fight 


AN INVITATION 


9 


and have all kinds of adventures!” For in 
those days this was a gentleman’s idea of life ; 
it seldom entered their heads to do any real 
work in the world. 

But the poor little seven-year-old was not to 
be comforted, and crept off to a corner of the 
courtyard still sobbing, “I want my mother! 
I want to go home ! I don’t see why people are 
other people’s vassals! I don’t want to be a 
page ! Booh-hoo-hoo ! ” 

And it did seem strange that most of the 
gently born children of that time had to be 
brought up in “ somebody else’s house,” as the 
little page complained. To understand how it 
came about you must know, to begin with, that 
the ruler of Normandy was called the duke; 
then the people were divided into three classes; 
first, the nobles who lived in castles, and, next to 
the duke, were of highest rank; second, the 
people who lived in towns and worked at trades 
and kept shops and inns for travelers; and the 
third, or lowest class, who were poor peasants 
little better than slaves, and who lived in little 
huts in the country where they had to farm the 
land for the nobles. Most of the land was 
owned by these nobles and they, too, were of 


10 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


different degrees of rank, some having stronger 
castles than others and more fighting men under 
them. As a great deal of fighting was always 
going on, it followed that each weaker noble 
wanted the help and protection of some one 
more powerful than he was. In order to get 
this he must become a vassal; that is, he must 
promise to be loyal to his overlord, to fight for 
him in return, and in time of war to furnish him 
men and supplies. In this way it had come 
about that everybody in Normandy was the 
vassal of some one else, and it became the cus- 
tom for children to be sent to their father’s 
overlord that they might be brought up in his 
home and trained to be loyal to him. The lord 
and lady of every castle became foster parents 
to the boys and girls sent to them and did their 
best to be kind to them and to teach them all 
they could. 

Count Bertram and Lady Gisla took a real 
interest in the group of squires and pages at 
Noireat and were much beloved in return. 
And now, as the little page still sobbed in his 
corner, Lady Gisla noticed him and a pitying 
look came into her eyes. “ Poor little man ! ” 
she murmured to herself. Then turning to two 


AN INVITATION 


11 


little girls who, hand in hand, had been stand- 
ing near by watching things, “ Blanchette,” she 
said, “ go over to little Josef and bring him to 
me!” 

“ Yes, mother! ” answered the little girl, as 
she ran off to do Lady Gisla’s bidding. 

Blanchette was the only child of Count Ber- 
tram and Lady Gisla; and though her com- 
panion, Marie, was the daughter of one of the 
Count’s vassals, and had been sent to Noireat 
to be trained, Blanchette herself had stayed in 
her own home because Count Bertram’s over- 
lord lived in a castle near the sea where the win- 
ters were so sharp and cold that Lady Gisla 
feared for the health of the little girl who had 
been delicate from babyhood. Moreover, it 
was not thought so important to send girls away 
from home as the boys who must be trained 
to fight loyally, if need be, for their overlord. 

In a moment Blanchette led little Josef, still 
sobbing, to Lady Gisla, who taking him in her 
arms hugged and kissed him just as his own 
mother might have done. “ There, there ! ” 
she whispered softly to him as she dried his 
eyes. “Nevermind! You must learn to be a 
little man, and we are all going to help you ! ” 


12 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


And then she kissed him again and comforted 
him, till presently the little page was smiling 
through his tears and ran along quite happily 
when Blanchette and Marie took him off be- 
tween them to romp with one of the big brown 
dogs, who were barking in the general excite- 
ment caused by the coming of the heralds. 


CHAPTER II 


THE CASTLE OF NOIREAT 

Meantime the cooks and scullions had all hur- 
ried back to their work, and as dinner was 
nearly ready Count Bertram invited the heralds 
into the castle; to be sure it was only eleven 
o’clock, but that was the usual hour for the 
midday meal. 

The Count and Lady Gisla both looked very 
handsome as they led the way up a flight of 
steps to the door of the great square tower of 
stone, called the keep, which was the main part 
of the castle. Count Bertram was dressed in a 
tunic of dark crimson and over his black hose 
narrow strips of green cloth were criss-crossed 
up to his knees where they were tied in knots 
with fringed ends ; his pointed leather shoes were 
of dark crimson and so was his cap and the short 
mantle fastened over one shoulder with a silver 
clasp. Lady Gisla wore a gown of viqjet-col- 
ored cloth with close bodice and flaring sleeves, 
13 


14 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


and her long skirt was caught up in front by a 
silken girdle from which hung a number of sil- 
ver keys; on her head was a pointed cap, and a 
square of lace fastened to its peak partly covered 
her hair which fell over her shoulders in loose 
flowing locks. 

Within the keep was one huge room called 
the hall. Heavy stone pillars upheld the floor 
of an upper story, and high up in the thick walls 
were long, narrow windows; there was no glass 
in these for glass was scarce and imperfect then; 
but sometimes in winter, when it was very cold, 
the windows were filled in with pieces of waxed 
linen instead. At either end of the room was a 
great fireplace; one was for warmth in winter 
time, while at the other the castle cooking went 
on the year around, for there was no other 
kitchen. And as there were no chimneys either, 
the smoke from the blazing logs, over which the 
cooks were busy with dinner, curled up into the 
hall and found its way out through the windows 
as best it could, which, of course, wasn’t very 
well. 

On the castle walls were no pictures, but here 
and there hung large pieces of cloth so skillfully 
embroidered that they looked almost like pic- 


THE CASTLE OF NOIREAT 


15 


tures, and here and there were fastened the ant- 
lers of a stag or a bow and sheaf of arrows. 
Rushes were strewn over the stone floor which 
was raised a little at one side of the room and 
called the dais. Here serving-men were placing 
long boards over some wooden trestles, thus 
making a table for the lord and lady. Others 
were arranging a similar but much longer one 
down the length of the hall. There were no 
cloths on either of these tables, for nobody had 
any; and as for forks, folks expected their fin- 
gers to answer. Count Bertram and Lady Gisla 
had some silver dishes and glass cups ; but on the 
long table for the household between each two 
persons was set an oblong wooden dish called a 
trencher, and this must do for a plate for both; 
their cups were pewter or else part of a cow’s 
horn hollowed out and set in metal. 

When all had taken their places on the 
benches that served for seats the long table was 
quite filled, for there were many people in the 
household. Besides the serving-folk, and the 
pages and squires and other attendants of gentle 
birth, often some wandering knight or minstrel 
or pilgrim or herald added to the company. 
Several of the pages and squires, however, did 


16 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


not sit down with the others but stood on the 
dais ready to wait upon Count Bertram and 
Lady Gisla, for one of the first things taught to 
them was obedience and service. 

Of the pages, Alan and Henri, who were in- 
separable friends, were favorites of the Count, 
while of the squires he preferred to be served by 
a youth named Hugh, who had been at Noireat 
a number of years and was now almost ready for 
knighthood. These three now busied them- 
selves to attend their master, while others of 
their number served Lady Gisla and the little 
girls who sat beside her. 

Henri had already been to the well in the 
courtyard and filled a silver pitcher and now he 
brought also a silver basin, and after Count Ber- 
tram was seated at the table he poured the 
water over his hands into the basin and then 
presented him a small linen towel on which to 
dry them. 

Meantime, Alan had gone to the kitchen end 
of the great hall. Here the cooks were busy 
at the big smoky fireplace dishing up food 
cooked in the copper kettles and saucepans which 
they pulled to the hearth from the glowing coals. 
On a long spit in front of the fire were pieces of 


THE CASTLE OF NOIREAT 


17 


roasted meat, and on either side tired little dogs 
were lying hungrily sniffing the food they dared 
not touch till their own turn came. 

Each dog had a little chain fastened around 
his body, one end of the chain being hooked to 
the spit, and for almost an hour they had been 
obliged to walk back and forth, thus turning the 
spit and keeping the meat from burning. For 
that was the way dogs had to help cook in those 
days. 

“ How are you, Bowser? How are you, 
Towser?” (perhaps those were not their real 
names, but never mind) said Alan, as he gently 
poked with his foot, first one and then the other 
of the dogs as he waited for the cook to place 
some meat on the silver platter he had brought. 

Henri, too, now came to the kitchen fire- 
place, and “ There is a dish of pigeons for you 
to bring,” said Alan as he went off with his plat- 
ter. 

When he set it before Count Bertram, 
“Where is the carving knife?” asked Hugh, 
who was standing by ready to carve the meat, 
which was one of the duties of a squire. 

“ Oh, dear! ” cried Alan, flushing, “ I never 
can remember that knife ! ” And off he hur- 


18 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


ried to the kitchen so fast that he nearly ran 
into Henri and his pigeons. When the knife 
was brought, Hugh, holding the meat firmly 
with a wooden skewer, carefully carved it, the 
two boys watching intently as he did it. 

“ That’s right,” said Count Bertram, “ see 
how he does it, lads! Hugh will soon be a 
knight and go away, and then, by and by, I will 
expect my new squires, Alan and Henri, to do 
my carving.” 

When the meat was served the boys brought 
dishes of beans, cabbage, turnips and other vege- 
tables, but no potatoes, for the very good reason 
that none grew in Normandy as yet. Along 
with these they brought also the cake and cus- 
tard and sweet things, which people then ate any 
time they pleased during the meal instead of 
keeping them for dessert as we would. 

When Count Bertram had risen from his seat, 
the two pages went to the long table in the cen- 
ter of the hall where they found places side by 
side with a wooden trencher between them. 

When everybody had finished eating, very 
likely a number of bones had been flung under 
the table ; and it is quite possible, too, that some 
of the brown dogs had crept up from the kitchen 



“brought dishes of beans, cabbage, turnips and other 

VEGETABLES.” 





THE CASTLE OF NOIREAT 


19 


hearth or the courtyard, and lying on the 
rumpled-up rushes munched and gnawed to their 
hearts’ content. For people in those days were 
not such particular housekeepers as we are. 


CHAPTER III 


ROLF THE GANGER 

After dinner the two heralds took their leave. 
Alan and Henri followed them to the gate, and 
when it was shut they loitered awhile in the 
small room under the watch-tower where Mas- 
ter Herve, the gate-keeper, lived. He was an 
old man, and the boys liked to hear the stories 
he was always ready to tell. 

“ Well, lads,” he said, as they seated them- 
selves on a bench by the door, “ ’tis lucky for you 
that you will get to see one more tourney before 
our noble ruler, Duke William, sets sail for 
Britain, for ’tis likely times will be dull enough 
with all the good knights following him across 
the sea ! ” 

“ Master Herve,” said Henri, “ why is Duke 
William going to fight in Britain? ” 

“ Why, child,” answered Master Herve, “ the 
blood of Rolf the Ganger runs in his veins, and 
every true Northman loves a good ship and a 
20 


ROLF THE GANGER 


21 


good fight ! — especially if there is a good prize 
at the end of it ! ” 

“Tell us about Rolf the Ganger!” put in 
Alan; for though the boys had heard the story 
often before, they always liked to listen to tales 
of their Northmen forefathers. 

Master Herve smiled approvingly, and be- 
gan: “Rolf, you know, was the great-great- 
great-grandfather of our Duke William, and 
was born nearly two hundred years ago on an isle 
off the coast of Norway. When he grew up he 
was so big and tall that he scorned to ride any 
of the little horses they have in Norway, and 
because he always walked instead people called 
him Rolf the Ganger, which means Rolf the 
Walker.” 

“And afterwhile he was outlawed!” said 
Henri. 

“ Yes,” said Master Herve, “ he was a wild 
blade, and for some deed he did he was made an 
outlaw by the King of Norway. But that didn’t 
daunt Rolf the Ganger ! He just got together 
a band of men and some dragon ships, for the 
men of Norway have always been famous rovers 
and more at home on sea than on land.” 

“ I wish I could see a dragon ship ! ” ex- 


22 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


claimed Alan longingly. “ Do you think there 
will be some at Dives when Duke William sails 
for Britain next fall? You know when Count 
Bertram goes to join him we are to go, too, as 
far as Dives.” 

“ Well,” answered Herve, “ the ships now 
are a good deal the same, only larger, and not 
so gay and fine looking. Rolf’s were long and 
narrow with a high prow of wood carved like a 
dragon and gilded and painted in brave colors. 
And each had a sail of red and blue, and at the 
top of the mast flew a flag with a big black raven 
worked on it; there were dozens of long oars, 
too, and the shields of the warriors all glittering 
with red and blue and gold hung over the sides 
of the ships. It must have been a gallant sight 
to see their sails spread and the great gold 
dragons gliding over the curling green waves ! ” 
Here old Herve’s eyes kindled as he went on, 
“ The isle where Rolf was born was cold and 
bleak; so, when he started off he set his sails 
for the south and by and by he came to the 
mouth of the river Seine in the French country. 
Many of the Northmen sea-rovers had come to 
the French country before Rolf and fought the 
people and carried off rich booty.” 


ROLF THE GANGER 


23 


And here old Herve’s eyes flashed again; for 
though to-day we would call such doings the 
work of pirates, in the days of our story every- 
body thought it very fine and brave to get prop- 
erty by fighting other people and taking theirs 
away. 

“ So,” went on Herve, “ when the French 
folk saw the ships of Rolf the Ganger, they 
were terribly frightened, and the French King, 
— you remember his name, lads?” asked 
Herve. 

“ Yes,” laughed the boys, “ he was called 
Charles the Simple ! ” 

“ Right! ” said Herve, “ he was a very silly 
king, and silliest of all if he thought he could 
drive out the Northmen if they had once made 
up their minds to stay. And this they had, for 
Rolf’s men had brought their wives and chil- 
dren with them, and Rolf himself had conquered 
the French Count of Bayeaux and married his 
daughter Popa and was quite ready to settle 
down in our beautiful Norman land, — though it 
wasn’t called Normandy yet.” 

“ Master Herve,” interrupted Henri, “ didn’t 
Rolf’s wife have any other name but Popa? 
You know that is just a little doll!” (For 


24 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


so the word means in the Norman language.) 

“ I daresay she did,” answered Herve, “ but 
nobody knows what it was. She must have been 
a pretty little thing, and a great pet to get a 
nickname like that, and nobody will ever call 
her anything but Popa, if she was Duke Wil- 
liam’s great-great-great-grandmother ! — Well, 
as I was saying, Rolfs plan to settle down in 
the French country, while it suited him exactly, 
didn’t suit Charles the Simple at all; and he got 
an army together and fought Rolf, but Rolf beat 
him. 

“ After this King Charles thought best to try 
and make friends with the Northmen. So he 
sent word to Rolf that if he would stop making 
war on him, and would be his friend and vassal 
and become a Christian (for the Northmen all 
worshiped old heathen gods then), he would 
give him all the land he had over-run, and that 
Rolf should be the ruler and called Duke of the 
Northmen, or Normans, as they soon came to 
be known. 

“ Rolf decided that he would agree to the 
King’s terms, and in token of his promise knelt 
down and put his hands between the hands of 
King Charles and vowed he would be his faith- 


ROLF THE GANGER 


25 


ful vassal and friend. But when he was told 
that at the end of the ceremony it was the cus- 
tom for a vassal to kiss the foot of the King, 
Rolf said nothing.” 

Here Alan and Henri, who had been listen- 
ing attentively, went off into bursts of laughter, 
for they knew what was coming next in the 
story; and old Herve’s eyes twinkled as he went 
on, “ Rolf just beckoned to one of his fol- 
lowers, a big fair-haired Northman, to come and 
do it for him. And the big Northman stepped 
up to King Charles and seized his foot with such 
a jerk that Charles tumbled over backward and 
that was an end to the ceremony. The French 
folk were afraid to do anything to the bold 
strangers, so they just picked up Charles the 
Simple, and Rolf and his followers went off, 
laughing as hard as they could, to the country 
Rolf was to rule and which soon came to be 
called Normandy. 

“ Rolf was a good duke,” went on Herve, 
“ and made Normandy a fairly peaceful and 
prosperous country. There has been plenty of 
quarreling and fighting since then,” added the 
old man, “ but our Duke William, who is the 
fifth ruler since Rolf, has got things very 


26 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


well under control and is all the while making 
Normandy more prosperous and power- 
ful.” 

“ But you haven’t told us yet why he is going 
to fight the British ! ” said Henri. 

“ Oh, yes,” answered Master Herve, “ that 
is because, — let me see,” said he, thinking hard, 
— “it is because, — Oh, I have it now! The 
British King, Edward, who died a while ago, 
had no children to inherit the kingdom, so he 
had promised it to our Duke William. But 
when King Edward died, Harold, one of the 
powerful British nobles, got an army together 
and had himself made King. So our Duke Wil- 
liam is having ships built near the mouth of the 
river Dives, which flows into the sea, and is get- 
ting all his soldiers ready, and in the autumn he 
will sail for Britain and fight for his rights. 
Nearly all the Norman nobles are going with 
him and it will be lonesome and quiet enough 
when our Count Bertram and all the rest are 
gone ! ” 

Here Master Herve gave a deep sigh, and 
just at that moment “Boo!” cried a merry 
voice, and in danced the two little girls hand in 
hand. 


ROLF THE GANGER 


27 


The old gate-keeper started, and smiled in 
spite of himself, as Marie, taking his hand, said 
gayly, “ Well, you needn’t put on such a long 
face, Master Herve! I guess we’ll still be 
here ! ” and she smiled saucily at the old man 
who was a great favorite with all the children 
about the castle. 

Alan and Henri jumped up laughing, and 
“ Wait, Marie! ” called out the latter, for the 
girls had already scampered off again. 

At this they stopped and waited till the boys 
came up, for all four were near the same age 
and great playmates. “ We’re going to play 
‘ turn the trencher,’ ” said Blanchette. “ You 
go get one, Alan, and be It to start ! ” she 
coaxed. 

“ All right ! ” said Alan good-naturedly, and 
he ran off to the kitchen and soon came back 
with the trencher. By this time little Josef and 
several more pages had joined the group, and 
Alan started the game which they played exactly 
as children play it now; and if you do not know 
how that is, ask some of them to tell you. 


CHAPTER IV 


BLANCHETTE AND MARIE 

The next morning Alan, Henri, and the 
other pages helped to straighten up the hall by 
picking up from the floor the straw-filled mat- 
tresses on which they had slept, and while they 
were busy with this Lady Gisla took the little 
girls down to the lowest story of the keep where 
there was a storehouse for food. Here, with 
the keys hanging from her girdle, she unlocked 
bins and closets, giving out to the cooks sup- 
plies for the day, while Blanchette and Marie 
watched all she did. 

As they turned to go, “ Mother,” said 
Blanchette, peering into a dark passage-way in 
the wall, “ is anybody in the dungeon? ” 

“ I think not now,” answered Lady Gisla, as 
she glanced toward the passage which led to a 
dreadful cavern-like cell burrowed under the 
paving-stones of the court. 

For while castle folk were always guarding 
28 


BLANCHETTE AND MARIE 


29 


against some one els'e attacking them, they did 
not forget that they themselves were quite as 
apt to make trouble for other people and that 
they might sometimes bring home prisoners from 
their many wars and quarrels. So they always 
provided a dungeon or two in which to keep 
them. And every one was so used to such 
things that even if the one at Noireat had held 
some wretched captive, neither the little girls 
nor Lady Gisla would have thought anything of 
it. 

As they left the storehouse, “ Come, chil- 
dren,” she said, “ we will go to the weaving- 
room now.” 

They followed her up the winding stair to the 
second-story of the keep in which were their 
sleeping-rooms, and then up still higher to a 
large loft where a number of the castle women 
were already hard at work. Some held in their 
hands spindles and distaffs, little wooden rods 
on which they were spinning and winding linen 
and woolen threads; while others, seated at 
hand looms, were weaving the threads into cloth. 

“ Oh, mother,” said Blanchette, as she stood 
in front of one of the looms from which hung a 
small square of linen cloth, “ see, I have finished 


30 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


my piece, and now mayn’t I begin to work it? 
Henri has drawn a pattern for me ! ” 

“ Yes, child,” answered Lady Gisla, smiling 
at her eager face. “ Let me see the drawing. 
You have done your weaving very well,” she 
added, as she examined the bit of cloth which 
the little girl had spun and woven herself. 

Blanchette hurried to a tall chest of drawers 
at one side of the room and tugging one of them 
open, pulled out a piece of parchment on which 
Henri had drawn a little girl holding a flower 
in her hand. He hadn’t drawn it with a lead 
pencil, either, for nobody had any; he had used 
instead a pen cut from the quill of a feather and 
dipped in home-made ink. 

As Lady Gisla looked at it, “ Yes,” she said, 
“ this will do very nicely for you to learn your 
stitches on, and Henri has a pretty taste in 
drawing.” She then showed Blanchette how 
to fasten her square of cloth in an embroidery 
frame, and with a needle and some colored 
thread helped her to begin copying the figure of 
the little girl. 

Meantime, Marie gave a sigh as she seated 
herself in front of another loom where a small 
piece of cloth like Blanchette’s was waiting to be 


BLANCHETTE AND MARIE 


31 


finished. “ Oh, dear,” she cried, “ I wish mine 
was ready to begin working, too ! ” 

“ Well, Marie,” said Lady Gisla gently, 
“ you know you both began at the same time, 
but you have not worked quite so industriously 
as Blanchette. But it is almost done, and I 
think if you try you can easily finish it to-day.” 

Marie set to weaving with a will, and the 
little girls were the picture of industry as they 
bent over their work. They had on blue 
dresses made much like Lady Gisla’s, only of 
course their skirts were shorter and they wore 
no girdles and keys. Their hair was arranged 
in two braids which hung over their shoulders 
in front. Now and then Lady Gisla looked at 
them with a smile as they worked so busily they 
forgot to talk. 

All cloth was then woven by hand, and every 
little girl, even in the castles, was early taught 
how to spin and weave; and, later on, those of 
gentle birth learned to embroider. The cloth 
they wove was needed not only for clothing, but 
also to hang on the walls of the great stone 
castles in which so many Normans lived. These 
were very cold in winter; and the woolen tapes- 
tries, as they were called, made the lofty halls 


32 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


and sleeping rooms far more comfortable than 
they would otherwise have been. Lady Gisla 
was finishing an especially handsome piece; she 
had woven it herself and on it she was working 
a hunting scene showing a forest where men on 
horseback and shaggy dogs were chasing a stag 
with branching antlers. 

Presently, there was a knock on the heavy 
oaken door and a page entered the room. 
Bending on one knee before Lady Gisla, he 
said: “ My lady, Mother Margot is in the 
courtyard with a basket of herbs which she says 
you asked her to bring.” 

“ Why, yes,” answered Lady Gisla, “ they 
are medicine herbs. Bid her come in, and 
bring her here to the weaving-room.” 

As the page hastened off, “ Come, girls,” she 
said, “ you may leave your work for awhile, and 
we will see what Mother Margot has brought.” 

In a few minutes the page again opened the 
door and ushered in an old woman who made a 
courtesy as she entered. She wore a black 
homespun dress and a white kerchief crossed 
over her shoulders, and on her head a white cap 
with a wide fluted border. Over her arm hung 
a coarse basket made of osiers and in this 


BLANCHETTE AND MARIE 


33 


were a number of bunches of green plants and 
leaves. 

“ Good day, Mother Margot,” said Lady 
Gisla kindly. “ Have you brought the herbs I 
wanted? ” 

“ Yes, my lady,” answered the old woman, 
who was one of the peasant folk belonging on 
Count Bertram’s estate. “ Here is boneset, 
and camomile, and bitter-root and tansy,” and 
as she took the green bunches from her basket 
and laid them on a heavy oaken table nearby, 
she muttered over the names of each. 

Blanchette and Marie had stood by watching 
with interest as Mother Margot emptied her 
load, and when she was gone they fell to exam- 
ining the little bunches of green. 

“ Oh,” said Marie, as she took up one cluster 
“ what pretty leaves these are ! Though the 
medicine they’ll make will probably taste nasty 
enough! ” And she made a wry face. 

“ Yes,” said Blanchette, laughing, “ and here 
are some whole plants, roots and all! And 
likely they are worse still ! ” 

“ Those leaves you think so pretty, Marie, 
are from the fever-few herb,” said Lady 
Gisla, “ and are very good to make medicine for 


34 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


persons ill of fever. And those whole plants, 
Blanchette, are rosemary and elecampane, and 
it is the roots that are the best part.” 

So taking up the herbs one by one, Lady Gisla 
explained their uses in curing illness and how 
they must be prepared. Some were to be dried, 
some boiled and the juice carefully kept, while 
of still others the leaves and roots must be 
pounded fine and steeped in various ways. 

Blanchette and Marie listened attentively, for 
they knew that when they grew up they would 
be expected to know how to attend their families 
or friends if they fell ill. Doctors were few 
then and their knowledge of medicine small at 
best. So most people, and especially those liv- 
ing in the castles perched on lonely crags, had 
to do the best they could for themselves ; and the 
girls of the family must learn how to prepare 
and use the healing herbs in the fields and for- 
ests about them, and also how to bandage 
wounds and care for those hurt in battle; for 
the men did a great deal of fighting about one 
thing and another. 

Lady Gisla was very skillful in all these 
things and had already taught the little girls a 
great deal. She now showed them how to sort 


BLANCHETTE AND MARIE 


35 


and arrange the herbs, and it kept them busy till 
dinner-time. 

After dinner, “ Lads,” said Count Bertram 
to Alan and Henri, “ you, and the rest of the 
pages, get out your ponies, and Hugh and I will 
give you a riding-lesson.” 

“ Yes, sir count! ” answered the boys delight- 
edly, and “ Oh, father,” cried Blanchette, 
“ mayn’t Marie and I go, too? ” 

“ Yes, child,” said Count Bertram, “ if your 
mother is willing.” 

“ The children have been working all morn- 
ing,” said Lady Gisla, and I think a ride will 
do them good. And then, of course, they must 
learn to be good riders as well as the boys.” 

u To be sure! ” answered the count. “ Run 
along, girls, and get your capes and bonnets and 
the boys will bring your ponies.” 

Presently the merry little party clattered out 
over the drawbridge and down the winding path 
to the fields. Count Bertram kept his eye on 
the girls, giving them many directions how to 
become graceful and fearless riders. Hugh at- 
tended to the pages, who must learn not only to 
ride with ease and fearlessness, but also to 
spring to their saddles without touching the 


36 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


stirrups and to jump their ponies over streams 
and walls. They must learn other outdoor 
things as well; how to run and leap and swim 
and shoot with bow and arrow, and all kinds of 
exercises to make them strong and manly. 

When the riding lesson was over and they 
cantered back to Noireat, “ See! ” said Marie, 
looking up the steep bridle path, “ I believe that 
is a minstrel going to the castle ! ” 

“ It surely is! ” said Blanchette, gazing with 
Marie at the man climbing on foot the path 
ahead of them. He wore a dark tunic and a 
curiously fringed mantle of flame color; on his 
head was a gay cap and feather, and on one leg 
his hose was sky-blue and the other deep green. 
Over his shoulder, hanging by a ribbon, was a 
musical instrument with a few strings and 
shaped much like a harp. 

“Goody!” cried Marie. “We will have 
some music this evening! ” 

At this Alan turned to Henri, for the two 
were riding just behind the little girls, and 
“ Well, Henri,” he said banteringly, “ that’s a 
good thing for you.” 

“ Why? ” asked Henri. 

“ Because,” said Alan, “ I was going to beat 


BLANCHETTE AND MARIE 


37 


you this evening at that draw game of checkers 
we were to play ! ” 

“ I guess not! ” retorted Henri. “ Anyway, 
if you did, I can beat you any day at backgam- 
mon ! ” And the two boys fell to discussing 
their favorite games and kept it up till they 
found themselves once more in the castle court- 
yard. Here the minstrel, as the wandering 
poets and singers of the time were called, had 
already been welcomed; for the songs of the 
minstrels were among the favorite entertain- 
ments of the time. 

After supper it was chilly, and the fire of logs 
was lighted in the fireplace, and though the 
smoke curled out into the hall and hung through 
the air in dim wreaths, nobody minded it when 
the minstrel stood up and striking the strings 
of his harp sang song after song, most of them 
telling some brave story of war or adventure. 

Every one listened with rapt attention, and 
clapped their hands when he finished. And no 
wonder people liked to have minstrels come, for 
the only way they knew about stories was for 
some one to sing or tell them to them. There 
were no printed books then; all were carefully 
written by hand, usually by the monks in the 


38 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


monasteries who often painted and decorated 
the pages in the most beautiful way, and these 
books were too few and precious for most peo- 
ple to have. Then they were not stories, any- 
way, but mostly religious books. 

“ Mother,” whispered Blanchette, as she 
listened to the minstrel, “ do you suppose I can 
ever learn to play like that? ” 

“ I don’t know, dear,” answered Lady Gisla, 
who had taught the children to play a little on 
musical instruments at the castle. “ Perhaps he 
will stay here a while and give you some lessons.” 

But when Count Bertram asked him to do so, 
the minstrel thanked him and “ Nay, sir count,” 
he answered, “ not now. This is bluebird 
weather, and I am on the wing! ” 

He as much as said, though, that when winter 
came he would like to come back to Noireat. 
For while the minstrels preferred to wander 
around through the summer, they were glad 
enough to find some castle in which they might 
spend the winter time. And welcome they 
were, for with their songs they helped pass many 
a long cold evening; also they could teach such 
music as they knew to the girls and boys of the 
castle. 


CHAPTER V 


“ THE MYSTERY OF THE RIVERS ” 

As Alan and Henri stood on either side of 
Count Bertram, ready to wait upon him as he 
was eating his breakfast, “ Lads,” he said, 
“ isn’t this the day for your lessons with Father 
Herluin?” 

“ Yes, sir count,” answered Alan, as both 
boys drew a long face at the prospect. 

“ Never mind! ” said Count Bertram, laugh- 
ing good-humoredly. “ Pay attention and learn 
what he tells you, and when you are through 
come to the falcon mew and I will give you a 
lesson more to your liking.” 

The boys’ faces brightened at this, and when 
the count had finished they joined the other 
children and trooped off quite briskly to school 
in the little chapel which was part of the castle 
and of which Father Herluin was priest. 
Noble families had to provide religious services 
in their own homes as they generally lived too 
39 


40 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


far away from any church ; and the good priest 
was also, two or three times a week, school- 
master to the castle children. 

When his pupils had seated themselves in the 
chapel, Father Herluin first gave them a lesson 
on church matters. Then, taking from a shelf 
the written and painted prayer-book, which was 
the castle library, he taught them a little reading. 
Next came a little less arithmetic and still less of 
geography; this last studied from a ridiculous 
map made by hand and showing a very queer 
world with the strange animals and monsters 
which map-makers then put in whenever they 
were in doubt about places. And they were in 
doubt about many, for everybody thought the 
earth flat instead of round, and had very little 
idea of the true shapes of lands and seas. 

Sometimes the children learned a trifle about 
the stars or plants or whatever else Father 
Herluin happened to know; but it was not much 
like the lessons boys and girls must learn now. 

After two hours the school was over for the 
day; and as there were no school-books nor 
paper nor pencils, of course there was no study- 
ing between times. 

Blanchette and Marie went back to learn 


THE MYSTERY OF THE RIVERS ” 41 


some household matters from Lady Gisla, and 
the boys raced off to the falcon mew. 

Falcons were used in hunting; and however 
little a boy of that time could read or write, one 
thing he was taught thoroughly, and that was to 
be an accomplished huntsman, as this was the 
favorite sport of those of gentle birth. 

There were two kinds of hunting: that called 
“ the mystery of the woods ” consisted in chasing 
wild animals, such as deer or boars, through 
the forest; and this was much like the sport of 
to-day except that no one had guns then and 
when the dogs had finally run the poor animal to 
earth it was usually killed by the master of the 
hunt, who carried a spear or knife for the pur- 
pose. 

But “ the mystery of the rivers,” was quite a 
different affair as it was the chasing of birds 
through the sky; and, for this, falcons, very 
strong and swift-winged birds of the hawk fam- 
ily, were specially trained. 

This kind of hunting was called “ the mystery 
of the rivers ” because the herons and other 
birds which the falcons were taught to attack 
made their nests on the banks of rivers. Every 
noble youth must know how to train and care for 


42 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


the falcons, and as he must learn also dozens of 
special words to use in speaking of the birds and 
their every movement it took really quite a long 
time to master the art of falconry, or hawking, 
as it was often called. 

“ Well, lads,” said Count Bertram, who was 
already in the mew, — the room where the fal- 
cons were kept, — “ I hope you are a great deal 
wiser than when I saw you last ! ” 

“ Yes, sir count,” said Henri, “ we learned 
ever so much this morning.” And then he 
quickly added, “ Have you seen my falcon, sir? 
I am afraid she is not well, she seems so mopy.” 

“Which is yours, Henri?” asked Count 
Bertram, looking at the dozen or more hawklike 
birds perched about the room. “ Oh, that one 
over there with her head down?” he added. 
“ I don’t think there is anything the matter with 
her. Just try her with the lure.” 

Henri took a silver whistle from a shelf near- 
by and fastened a bit of meat to it beneath a 
bunch of gay feathers dangling from one end. 
“ Wait a minute,” said the count, “ till Alan 
loosens her jesses ! ” And Alan hastened to un- 
fasten from the perch the little leather thongs 
attached to her legs. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE RIVERS ” 43 


Henri then blew the whistle and the bird, rais- 
ing its head, immediately spread its wings and in 
an instant had lighted on his wrist and was try- 
ing to get the bit of meat, while all the other fal- 
cons strained at their jesses and tried to reach 
him, too. 

The whistle, or lure, was thus made attrac- 
tive with feathers and meat while the birds were 
being trained to come when they heard it blown; 
for it was by the lure that the huntsman 
drew the falcon back to him when a hunt was 
over. 

As Henri’s bird flew toward him there was a 
pretty tinkling sound; and, indeed, every time 
any of the falcons moved about on their perches 
there was a musical sound, for every one of them 
had a tiny bell, like a little sleigh-bell, strapped 
around each of his legs just above the toes; and 
these bells and the leather jesses they always 
wore. Several of them wore another very odd 
thing, a little hood made of cloth or leather and 
covering the whole head, beak, eyes, and all. 
These hoods were put on the fiercer birds to 
make them tamer and protect their trainer from 
their beaks; also, when they were taken out to 
hunt all wore hoods so that nothing might dis- 


44 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


tract their attention till time to begin the chase, 
when the head covering was plucked off. 

“Whose bird is that with the red hood?” 
asked Count Bertram, as he noticed one of the 
smaller and younger birds restlessly moving on 
its perch and trying to shake off its gay head 
covering. 

“ Oh, that is Marie’s, sir count,” answered 
Alan, “ she is very proud of that hood, and 
Blanchette is making a green one for hers! ” 

For the girls, too, had their pet falcons, 
and ladies often followed the sport with the 
men. 

“ Well, lads,” again asked the count, “ do you 
know your lesson in the falconry language? 
What do I mean when I say the falcon’s 
‘arms’?” 

“ His legs, sir,” answered Henri. 

“ And his ‘ sails ’ ? ” continued the count. 

“ His wings, sir,” said Alan. 

“ What are his ‘ beams ’ ? ” again asked the 
count, “ and what is he doing when he ‘ mantles,’ 
or ‘ jouks,’ or ‘ bates ’ ? ” 

“ His ‘ beams,’ ” answered the boys in chorus, 
“ are the long feathers of his wings, and he 
‘ mantles ’ when he stretches back one wing, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE RIVERS ” 45 


when he sleeps he 4 jouks,’ and when he flutters 
to escape we must say he 1 bates.’ ” 

“ Very good,” said the count, smiling; and 
then after questioning the lads a little further, 
he said: “ Now you may feed the birds; but 
don’t give them much, as we will fly some of 
them this afternoon and they must still be hun- 
gry enough to be interested in the quarry.” For 
so was called the bird or hare or whatever prey 
the falcon went in chase of. 

Alan at once went to the castle kitchen where 
he got some pieces of beef and mutton which he 
placed on a bunch of feathers from the breast of 
a heron, one of the birds the falcons were taught 
to pursue. When all was ready Henri and the 
other pages began to shout at the tops of their 
voices, and going into the courtyard called about 
them a number of the count’s hunting dogs, 
which they soon had yelping and bow-wowing at 
the tops of their voices also. This was done so 
the falcons might become so used to it that when 
they were taken out to hunt they would attack 
a real heron and not be disturbed or frightened 
by the shouting and barking that was sure to go 
on around them. 

The count looked on approvingly, and after 


46 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


a few more directions, he said, “ After dinner I 
am going out with Hugh and one or two of my 
squires for a little sport, and you boys may come 
along.” 

The lads’ eyes danced, and just as soon as din- 
ner was over they hurried back to the mew to 
bring the count his bird. 

As the little party rode out the castle gate on 
Count Bertram’s right fist perched the falcon, 
the jesses on its legs caught in a small hook in 
the back of his heavy glove and a brown hood 
over its head. Hugh and one of the other 
squires carried falcons also, but Alan and Henri 
being only pages must content themselves with 
watching the others and learning all they could. 

They rode down the cliff road and through 
the meadows till they came to a little river, 
fringed by willow and poplar trees. 

Presently, “ Look! ” cried Alan to Henri, in 
a low voice, as up from a cluster of willows a 
blue heron rose in flight. 

At the same moment Count Bertram, who was 
riding in front, quickly plucking the hood from 
his falcon’s head, with a shrill cry, “ Haw ! 
Haw! Ho now!” loosed it for pursuit. 
“ Haw! Haw! Ho now! ” shouted Hugh and 


THE MYSTERY OF THE RIVERS ” 47 


the other squires; for this was one of the cries 
by which the falcons were taught to speed to the 
attack. 

But Count Bertram’s bird needed no urging 
as up, up it soared, mounting the air in great 
spiral curves. 

Meantime, the poor heron, seeing its pursuer, 
was trying its best to fly away. 

As the little party of huntsmen dashed along 
breathlessly watching the two birds, up, up, still 
higher soared the falcon, till for an instant it 
poised, a dark speck in the blue sky, while be- 
neath it the blue heron fled on frightened wings. 
Then, like lightning, the falcon swooped down, 
hurling its powerful body full upon the heron, 
striking it with such force that it dropped to 
earth stunned by the blow. In another moment 
the falcon was upon it, and the jingle of little 
bells told only too plainly how claws and beak 
were doing their deadly work. 

“Bravo!” cried Count Bertram. “What 
think you, Hugh? Was not that a pretty 
flight?” 

“ Yes, sir count,” answered Hugh with en- 
thusiasm, “ the falcon went like an arrow to the 
mark ! ” 


48 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


After Count Bertram had flown his bird a few 
more times the two squires took turns with 
theirs. Later on, as the afternoon waned, each 
of the huntsmen took the little silver lure, which 
dangled from his wrist, and whistled his falcon 
back, and the three birds were again hooded and 
each fastened securely to the glove of his mas- 
ter. 

When the party returned to the castle, Count 
Bertram handed his falcon to Alan to be placed 
in the mew; and as the boy carefully received it 
the count looked critically to see that he held his 
elbow crooked at just the right angle, and that 
his fist was doubled up in precisely the correct 
way to carry the bird; for all these matters were 
considered as important to be learned as any les- 
son in manners. 



ii 


99 


THE BOYS 


TOOK A FENCING LESSON FROM HUGH 















































































CHAPTER VI 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 

All morning a fine rain had fallen and the 
boys and girls of the castle had been busy in- 
doors ; the girls learning to sew and embroider, 
while the boys, with blunt swords, took a fenc- 
ing lesson from Hugh. 

After dinner Blanchette peeped out into the 
courtyard. “ It’s still raining! ” she called back 
to Marie and the pages who were gathered 
around the door. “ What shall we do? ” 

“ Let’s go over to Master Herve and get him 
to tell us a story! ” proposed Marie. 

“All right!” cried the others, and, darting 
out of the door, they skimmed like a flight of 
swallows over the wet paving stones to old 
Herve’s tower. As the laughing group burst 
into the place, “Well, well! ” he exclaimed in 
pretended fright, “ I thought the Duke himself 
was storming the castle, you made such a hub- 
bub ! ” 


49 


50 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“ We will storm your tower, sure enough, 
Master Herve,” cried Marie, “ unless you tell 
us a nice story right away ! ” 

“ Dear me,” answered Master Herve, “ if 
that is so, I will hurry and begin ! What shall 
I tell you? About little Duke Richard? ” 

“ Yes,” shouted a chorus of merry voices, 
“ tell us about little Duke Richard! ” 

“ Well,” began Master Herve, “ it was a long 
time ago ” — “How long?” asked Henri, who 
always liked to be exact, — “ Oh, I don’t know,” 
replied Master Herve, “ but it must have been 
a good while, because it was when Richard was 
a little boy only eight years old, and Richard 
was the great-great-grandfather of our Duke 
William, so you see it must have been nearly 
ninety years ago. 

“ There was a great deal of quarreling in 
Normandy then, and Duke William Long- 
Sword — ” 

“Who was Duke William Long-Sword?” 
asked one of the younger pages. 

“ Why, he was little Richard’s father,” put in 
Alan, “ and he was called Long-Sword because 
he always carried a wonderful long one with a 
gold handle ! ” 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 


51 


“ Yes,” said old Herve, “ you are right, Alan, 
he was Richard’s father, and, as I began to say, 
when the little lad was only eight years old Wil- 
liam Long-Sword was one day killed by some of 
his enemies.” 

“ Tell about his hair shirt! ” said Henri; for 
the children had heard most of old Herve’s 
stories before, and did not want anything left 
out 

“To be sure!” answered Herve. “When 
they came to make Duke William ready for his 
funeral, they found that underneath his splendid 
ducal dress he always wore a shirt made of 
coarse hair cloth next to his skin, and that he 
kept a little scourge with which he often 
whipped himself. For he was very pious, and 
you know that is the way that many people be- 
lieve they can make peace with God for their 
sins.” 

Here the children made long faces at the idea 
of any one whipping himself, and Master Herve 
went on: “ The funeral was no sooner over than 
little Richard, who was the sole heir to the 
duchy, was dressed in his handsomest red tunic 
and brought to the cathedral in the city of Rouen 
to be crowned Duke of Normandy. 


52 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“ Richard walked up the aisle, and when he 
sat in the great chair by the altar his feet didn’t 
come anywhere near the floor. The priest said 
the mass, and Richard solemnly promised to be 
a good and true ruler; and then they put on his 
shoulders the great crimson velvet mantle 
trimmed with ermine that belongs to the Nor- 
man dukes. But Richard was so little that it 
trailed all around him, and when they tried to 
crown him the crown was so big and heavy that 
one of the barons had to hold it over his head. 
Then they gave him the long sword that had 
been his father’s. When it was over, and 
Richard stood up to walk down the aisle, the 
mantle was so long and heavy that one of the 
nobles picked him up and carried him; another 
one was about to take the sword.” 

“ But Richard wouldn’t let him ! He carried 
it himself! ” cried Henri. 

“ Yes,” said old Herve, “ though the sword 
was longer than he was, he would let no one take 
it.” 

“ It must have been a funny sight,” observed 
Marie, “ to see him carried down the long aisle 
with that big crimson mantle trailing behind him 
and he clutching the sword taller than himself ! ” 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 


53 


The others laughed, but Master Herve did 
not join them. “ Yes, funny it may seem to you 
youngsters, but it was a sad enough sight to the 
friends of little Richard to see him orphaned 
and obliged to be a duke before he was able to 
govern the country, and with all sorts of trouble- 
some affairs ahead of him arid, worst of all, the 
King of France wishing with all his heart to get 
his duchy from him! 

“ Well, Richard was carried back to the pal- 
ace, and then his vassals, the highest nobles of 
Normandy, all came and kneeling before him, 
placed their great strong hands between his baby 
ones and swore to be loyal subjects.” 

“ Didn’t Richard himself have to do the 
same thing to the King of France?” asked 
Alan. 

“ Yes,” said old Herve, “ he did later on, the 
first time he went to France, and he didn’t go of 
his own free will, either; but that’s what I’m 
coming to in the story. Of course ever since 
Rolf the Ganger promised loyalty to Charles 
the Simple all the Norman dukes have done the 
same to the kings of France. But though the 
French people have kept fairly peaceable with 
us, they have never liked it because Rolf took 


54 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


Normandy, and our dukes have known well 
enough that behind their backs they called them 
‘ Dukes of the Pirates,’ for so the French nick- 
named our brave people. And no sooner was 
little Richard crowned than the French King 
Louis thought it would be a fine thing to get 
possession of the young Duke of the Pirates, and 
then, — well, King Louis had two boys of his 
own, and of course if anything happened to 
Richard that crimson velvet mantle and the big 
crown would do very nicely for one of the little 
French princes.” Here old Herve shrugged his 
shoulders with a wise look. 

“ At any rate,” he went on, “ very soon King 
Louis came and insisted on taking Richard home 
with him. He said the boy was his godson, and 
his vassal besides, and that he had a perfect right 
to be his guardian. The Norman nobleman 
thought very differently, but as the King had 
taken care to bring a large force of soldiers with 
him they did not dare to refuse. Though when 
they said good-by to their little duke they made 
up their minds to get him back again just as soon 
as they could manage it. One of their number, 
a young noble, was allowed to go with him, and 
a faithful friend he proved. Who of you re- 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 


55 


members his name?” quizzed the old man of 
his eager little listeners. 

“ We all do I Osmond de Centeville ! ” cried 
the children in chorus, indignant that Master 
Herve should fancy they could forget. 

“ It was a sad journey for poor little Rich- 
ard,” he continued, “ away from his own home 
to the gloomy castle of Laon where King Louis 
was then living; and when they reached it Rich- 
ard found nothing but coldness and unkindness 
from all. The Queen, Gerberge, was haughty 
and disagreeable, and the two young princes, 
Lothaire and Carloman, were cross and hateful 
to him. 

“Several months went on in this way; but 
all the while Richard’s faithful friend, Osmond 
de Centeville, was keeping careful watch for the 
very first chance to help his little master to 
escape. 

“ By and by, Richard fell ill; and the paler 
and thinner he grew the happier it made King 
Louis and Queen Gerberge, who wanted him to 
die so as to get Normandy for their hateful 
young Lothaire.” 

Here Alan and Henri clenched their fists 
angrily, as if they would have liked to get at 


56 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


Richard’s cruel enemies, while Blanchette sighed 
sympathetically, and Marie, remembering their 
lesson on herbs, asked: “ Didn’t Osmond know 
any place where he could get some herb medi- 
cine? I should think he could have managed 
some way ! ” 

“ Don’t you fancy Osmond de Centeville 
wasn’t taking the best kind of care of Richard ! ” 
said old Herve with a chuckle. “ I dare say he 
got plenty of medicine for him, and gave it to 
him himself up there in the tower room where he 
kept him away from the castle folks. And he 
went right down into the castle kitchen, too, and 
cooked everything that Richard ate, because he 
was afraid the King’s cooks had been ordered to 
poison little Richard! Well, one night every- 
body was so sure that the Duke of the Pirates 
was going to die, that they thought there was 
no need of keeping as close watch on him as 
they had been doing, and King Louis and Queen 
Gerberge decided to give a great banquet be- 
cause they were so happy at the idea of soon get- 
ting Normandy for Lothaire. 

“ So, while everybody was busy eating, Os- 
mond managed to get a big armful of straw 
from somewhere, and with this he crept quietly 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 


57 


up the winding stair to the tower room where 
Richard was lying very white and weak. 

44 4 Hush ! ’ he whispered, as the little duke 
started up in surprise. 4 Can you keep as still 
as a mouse for a little while, and not mind if 
you are nearly smothered? And can you pre- 
tend that you are not a duke at all, but nothing 
but a bundle of straw? * 

“ 4 Yes, yes! ’ answered Richard eagerly, his 
eyes growing bright with excitement as Osmond 
explained his plan, 4 1 can be a stick of wood, 
anything , Osmond, if you will only take me away 
from here ! ’ 

44 Then Osmond rolled Richard up in his little 
purple mantle and stuffed him into the middle of 
that bundle of straw, and, seizing it in his strong 
arms, he crept out of the room, and felt his way 
carefully down the winding stairs, till presently 
he came to the big smoky kitchen which he had 
to pass through in order to get out doors. The 
cooks were all so busy running to and fro that 
very few of them noticed Osmond at all, and 
those who did were quite satisfied when he said, 
with a fine careless air, 4 I forgot to bed down 
and feed my war horse and I’m just going out to 
the stable to do it.’ 


58 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“ And Osmond went to the stable, sure 
enough,” went on Master Herve with a laugh, 
“ but it was neither to make a bed out of the 
little duke nor to feed him to the big Normandy 
horse which he saddled and bridled faster than 
he had ever done in all his life. Then, placing 
the precious bundle of straw across the saddle 
bow, carefully, — oh, so carefully, — he led the 
horse to the castle gate. The keeper had had so 
much wine at the banquet that his head had 
dropped on his breast and he was sound asleep. 
And carefully, — oh, so carefully, — Osmond 
slipped back the great bars, one by one, flung 
open the gate, sprang into the saddle, and away 
with the wind ! ” 

Here there was a loud clapping of hands and 
a shrill cheer from Herve’s little audience. 

“ Oh,” cried Henri enviously, “ wouldn’t I 
like to have been Osmond ! ” 

“ Maybe you would,” said old Herve, “ but 
I don’t believe anybody would like to have been 
the Duke of the Pirates that night, for the poor 
little fellow was nearly smothered ! When Os- 
mond had galloped a safe distance from the 
castle, he stopped and loosened the straw as 
much as he could from around Richard’s face, 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 


59 


for the little lad was fairly gasping. But he 
was full of pluck and without fear, — you know 
the name he earned in after life ? ” asked Herve, 
who was fond of quizzing the children. 

“ Yes,” they answered, “ of course we do, 
1 Richard the Fearless ’ I ” 

“ So,” went on Herve, “ after a short rest, on 
they galloped fast and faster, clatter, clatter, 
clatter, every minute drawing nearer the Nor- 
man border. Oh, but that was a wild ride that 
brought the little Duke of the Pirates back to 
his own ! All night they rode, and far into the 
next day till the good black war horse was spent 
and breathless. Then Osmond somehow man- 
aged to get a fresh one, and thud, thud, away 
they went again. At daybreak the second day 
they came to the river Epte dividing France and 
Normandy, and on the cliffs at the far side rose 
the towers of Crecy castle. There was no 
bridge, but that was no matter. Panting and 
foam-flecked, straight into the river plunged the 
gallant horse with his precious burden. Oh, 
how tired he was with that long galloping, but 
how bravely he fought his way across the cur- 
rent and safe to the farther side ! And then, 
just as he had won back to his own Normandy, 


60 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


it seemed for a moment that all was lost for the 
little duke. For the watchers of the castle 
walls, little dreaming who were the riders of 
that brave horse, and thinking them enemies 
from France, were just fitting their arrows to 
their bows to shoot, when at a quick signal from 
Osmond they paused, and then, — well, when 
they found out that their own true duke was 
come back to them, you can guess whether or not 
they gave him a rousing welcome ! ” and old 
Herve’s voice rose in enthusiastic fervor. 

“ But with all his bravery,” added Herve, in 
a tender tone, “ the poor little man was scarce 
breathing when they lifted him out of the straw 
and loosened his purple mantle; for the long 
ride had almost ended his life. But you can 
guess, too, whether they nursed him carefully. 
And you may be sure the lady of Crecy castle 
saw that he got the right herb medicine”; 
here Master Herve looked at Marie with a 
twinkle in his eye. “ At any rate, it wasn’t long 
till the little duke was as fine and sturdy a boy 
as heart could wish, and King Louis didn’t get 
him back again, either! ” 

“ No,” said Alan, “ when he came back and 
tried to, the Norman army was waiting for 


LITTLE DUKE RICHARD 


61 


him, and he decided he would have to look some- 
where else for a duchy for Lothaire! ” 

“ Yes, yes, youngsters,” said old Herve, “ I 
guess you know all my stories nearly as well as I 
do. But I am tired now, so go off and play. 
Next time you come maybe I’ll have a new story 
for you.” 


CHAPTER VII 


THE TOURNAMENT 

It was the day of the tournament and every 
one in the castle was up at dawn. Breakfast 
was soon over, and then, while the rest were get- 
ting ready, Hugh brought Count Bertram his 
armor and helped him to put it on. First came 
the hauberk, a tunic of leather over which were 
sewed hundreds of small iron rings, so close to- 
gether that a spear point could not pierce them. 
Hugh slipped this over the count’s shoulders 
and then on his head he placed the helmet; a 
close-fitting pointed cap also of leather sewn with 
iron rings. 

Though the helmet did not entirely cover 
Count Bertram’s face, it came over his ears and 
laced under his chin and a stiff piece of leather 
hung down over his forehead and nose, giving 
him such an odd look that Hugh smiled as he 
fastened it on. 

“Are my lance and shield ready?” asked 
Count Bertram. 


02 


THE TOURNAMENT 


63 


“ Yes, sir count,” answered Hugh. “ There 
they are,” and he pointed to a long lance lean- 
ing against the wall and close by it a large kite- 
shaped shield of wood on which was painted a 
red two-legged dragon. 

Here the little page, Josef, came running in, 
and making a stiff bow he sank on one knee and 
bashfully holding out a scarlet embroidered rib- 
bon, he said, u Sir Count Bertram, here is the — 
the — the token Lady Gisla made for you ! ” 
“Good!” said Count Bertram, smiling, 
“ that was a hard word to remember, wasn’t 
it, Josef?” And the little lad blushed and 
nodded his head as Hugh, taking the ribbon, tied 
it in one of the rings on Count Bertram’s helmet. 

For at tournaments each knight usually wore 
some token given him by his lady love. Often 
it was a ribbon, a glove or a flower, and if he 
won the prize the knight always declared that he 
had striven for it in honor of his lady. 

By the time Count Bertram was ready so were 
all the rest; and Lady Gisla herself came into 
the hall looking lovely in a green gown embroid- 
ered in silver. She wore a jeweled girdle and 
necklace and on her head a wonderful tall cap 
from the back of which floated a veil of fine lace. 


64 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


Blanchette and Marie, who were to go along, 
fairly danced with excitement as they put on 
their frocks of blue silk and little caps and rid- 
ing capes of scarlet cloth. 

“ Oh, mother, aren’t we ready to start?” 
cried Blanchette, running to the door of the 
great hall. 

“Alan! Alan!” called Marie impatiently. 
“ Where are our ponies? ” 

“ Do not be in such a hurry, children,” said 
Lady Gisla, “ we will soon be off. The pages 
and squires are putting the trappings on the 
horses now; for you know they must be dressed 
in their best, just as we are.” 

“ Oh, how fine they look! ” exclaimed Marie, 
as she and Blanchette ran down to the courtyard. 

The horses, indeed, looked very gay, with 
saddles and bridles of richly worked leather and 
bright colored rosettes and tassels dangling from 
their ears and the various straps about their 
bodies. Over the saddles for the ladies of the 
party were flung pieces of scarlet cloth embroid- 
ered in colors. 

Presently all was ready and off they started. 
And what a merry ride it was, that five miles to 
the castle of Brecey! By and by, across a field 


THE TOURNAMENT 


65 


of red poppies, they saw tall towers rising from 
a steep hill. 

“ See ! ” cried Blanchette to Alan who was 
next to her, “ that must be Brecey castle, for silk 
banners are on the tower ! ” 

“ Yes,” said Alan, “ but I do not believe we 
will go up there yet. You know the herald said 
the tournament would be held in the meadow 
near by.” 

Just then as they rounded another bend in the 
road, “ Oh,” said Marie, “ there is the place 
now ! ” And, sure enough, they could see the 
meadow where a large number of gayly dressed 
people had already gathered. 

On reaching the place, Count Bertram and his 
party were warmly welcomed by the lord and 
lady of Brecey, who at once sent a page to con- 
duct Lady Gisla and her attendants to the raised 
wooden seats that had been built at one side of 
the meadow. In the middle of these was a 
throne-like chair covered with bright tapestry, 
and there sat a beautiful lady richly dressed and 
wearing a wreath of flowers in her hair. 

Blanchette and Marie, who had clung shyly 
to Lady Gisla as they followed the page, now 
gazed at the lady in rapt admiration. “ Oh, 


66 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


mother,” whispered Blanchette, “ is she a 
queen? ” 

“ Yes, dear,” said Lady Gisla with a smile, 
“ not a real queen, but the Queen of the Tourna- 
ment, and she will give the prize to the winner.” 

When they took their places on the seats a 
number of ladies were all around them, and 
bright banners fluttered everywhere. 

“ See, children,” said Lady Gisla, pointing to 
a large oval space in front of the seats and in- 
closed by a double railing of wood, “ that is 
called the ‘ lists,’ and is where the knights will 
fight one another. The squires and pages will 
stand outside, between the railings, so that if 
any one in the lists is hurt or needs anything they 
will be ready to help.” 

“ Oh, Lady Gisla ! ” cried Marie, whose 
bright eyes had been eagerly searching the 
groups of horsemen gathered behind a rope at 
each end of the lists. “ There is Count Ber- 
tram at the far end ! ” 

“ Yes! ” cried Blanchette. “ And Alan and 
Henri are fixing his spurs and doing something 
to his saddle ! ” 

“ They are probably seeing that none of the 
straps have become unfastened,” said Lady 



i H §#5 




✓ • / r~. ■•■•—- ' 


“ BLOWING SHORT, SHARP BLASTS ON A TRUMPET.” 

































































































































THE TOURNAMENT 


67 


Gisla, watching with interest as all was being 
made ready. 

In a little while a herald rode around the lists 
blowing short sharp blasts on a trumpet. When 
everybody pricked up their ears to listen, he 
stood up in his stirrups and in a loud voice called 
out the rules of the tournament and what the 
prizes were to be. 

“ What does he mean by saying the lances of 
the knights must all have ‘ coronals ’ on them? ” 
asked Blanchette. 

“ I am not quite sure,” answered Lady Gisla, 
for tournaments and their rules were still rather 
too new in Normandy to be very well known, 
“ but I think coronals are the pieces of wood 
that are put on the tips of the lances to blunt 
them so the fight will not be so dangerous.” 
And Lady Gisla sighed, for sports in those days 
were very rough and in the mock fights people 
were often as badly hurt as in real ones. 

But here a shout went up at either end of the 
lists as, at a signal from the Baron of Brecey, 
the ropes were drawn aside and the knights, 
spurring their horses, rushed at each other with 
leveled lances and the tournament began. 

Blanchette and Marie, each with a long 


68 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“Oh!” leaned forward in breathless interest, 
and Lady Gisla, with anxious gaze, fixed her 
eyes on Count Bertram, who was trying to over- 
throw a tall knight from whose helmet dangled 
the embroidered glove of his lady. 

“ Oh, dear! ” cried Blanchette, “ see, he has 
almost pushed father from his saddle ! ” 

But in another moment Count Bertram, dex- 
trously turning his horse, by a powerful thrust 
of his lance sent the tall knight tumbling to the 
ground; and instantly his squires and pages 
rushed into the lists and bore off their master to 
a place of safety. For by this time there was a 
general prancing of horses and clashing of 
lances as each knight was trying to overthrow 
some one else. 

Before long more than one had been borne 
from the field severely hurt; for in spite of the 
coronals on the lances there were plenty of ways 
to get hard knocks in a tournament, especially 
those earlier ones. But then, people expected 
such things, and no one except their nearest 
friends paid much attention to the wounded. 

Through it all Lady Gisla and the little girls 
had been watching Count Bertram with eager in- 
terest; and though sometimes in the thick of the 


THE TOURNAMENT 


69 


struggle they lost sight of him, when the herald 
blew the trumpet, which was the signal to stop 
fighting, to their great delight they saw that he 
still sat his horse erect and unharmed. And 
what was their pride and joy to hear the herald, 
as he rode slowly around the lists, proclaim that 
Count Bertram, of the castle of Noireat, had 
won the first prize of the gilded spurs, as he had 
overthrown four other knights. 

The other ladies seated around them turned 
envious eyes on Lady Gisla, who was smiling 
her pleasure, while Blanchette and Marie were 
clapping their hands with delight. 

44 Watch, children,” said Lady Gisla, 44 and 
see the Queen of the Tournament bestow the 
prize.” 

Again the little girls bent forward eagerly and 
looked as Count Bertram, slowly riding past 
the benches on which the ladies were seated, 
paused in front of the throne of the queen. 
Alan and Henri, who were walking on either 
side of him, at once took his bridle and helped 
him dismount. Then, bowing low, he knelt be- 
fore the Queen of the Tournament, as, placing 
the spurs in his hands, she said, 44 Count Ber- 
tram, I bestow this prize upon you, and may you 


70 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


live long and happily and always do honor to 
your lady! ” 

Count Bertram, after thanking her with all 
knightly courtesy, rose to his feet, and the win- 
ner of the second prize took his place before 
the queen. 

The next thing, the Baron of Brecey invited 
the company to make their way across the 
meadow and up the narrow path to his castle 
where a great feast was spread. 

After the feast some musicians came in and 
played on curious old stringed instruments while 
the grown people danced; the boys and girls, 
who were not expected to join, gathered in little 
groups at the sides of the hall and looked on. 

Late in the afternoon the party from Noireat 
took their leave, Count Bertram wearing his new 
golden spurs, and everybody in the little proces- 
sion fairly bursting with pride because he had 
won them. 


CHAPTER VIII 


OLD HERVE TELLS ANOTHER STORY 

Though the tournament had been several days 
before, the children were still talking about it to 
Master Herve. At last, when they had all told 
everything they could remember, Henri said to 
the old man, “ Now, Master Herve, you must 
tell us a story; it’s your turn! ” 

“ Well, well,” said old Herve, “ what shall it 
be?” 

“ Tell us something about Duke William! ” 
exclaimed Marie. “ You have told us about 
other dukes, but I would like to know something 
more about him.” 

“ Our Duke William is a wonderful man,” 
said Herve, “ but great and strong and powerful 
as he is now, I can remember the time, forty 
years ago, when he was just a tiny baby, and 
folks said that when he first reached out his little 
hand he clutched hold of a straw from the floor 
where he lay and held it so tightly that the wise 
women who saw him declared it was a sign he 
71 


72 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


would hold fast in after life to whatever 
dominion he might win. 

“ But it didn’t look much then, nor for a long 
while after, as if he would ever have much 
dominion to hold.” 

“ Why not? ” asked Blanchette. 

“ Because none of the Norman nobles were 
his friends. They all hated the helpless baby; 
for though his father was Duke Robert the Mag- 
nificent, and the true descendant of Rolf the 
Ganger, his mother was not noble but the daugh- 
ter of a tanner of leather which, you know, is a 
trade looked down on in Normandy. She was a 
very beautiful girl, and Duke Robert had first 
seen her one day when she was washing clothes 
in the little stream that flows near the castle of 
Falaise where he was then living.” 

“ Why was he called ‘ the Magnificent ’ ? ” 
asked Alan. 

“ Well,” said Herve, “ that was because he 
was very rich and spent a great deal of money, 
though often he spent it very foolishly. He was 
very fond of little William, and proud of his 
handsome face and bright ways. But when 
William was only seven years old Duke Robert 
made up his mind to go on a pilgrimage.” 


HERVE TELLS ANOTHER STORY 73 


“ Why do people go on pilgrimages, Master 
Herve? ” interrupted one of the pages. 

“ They go because they want to pray at some 
holy place to have their sins forgiven,’’ answered 
Herve. 

“ Did you ever go? ” asked another of the 
children. 

“ No,” replied Master Herve, “ but my 
father did once. He went to Saint Michael’s 
Mount, a very holy island near Normandy. It 
was when I was a little chap not half so big as 
Josef there,” and Herve nodded to little Josef 
sitting between Blanchette and Marie. “ It 
was the year 1000, and for some reason or an- 
other folks got it into their heads that the 
world was coming to an end. So they thought 
a good deal about their sins and the 
next world, and all who could started off on pil- 
grimages.” 

“ Did the world come to an end? ” asked lit- 
tle Josef, with wide eyes. 

“No, no, child!” laughed Master Herve. 
“ This is the same old world that it was sixty-six 
years ago. Nothing happened, but people had 
got so in the habit of making pilgrimages that 
pilgrims have been plenty ever since. And 


74 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


many of them are noble, too, like Duke Robert 
the Magnificent.” 

“Did he walk all the way?” inquired 
Blanchette. “ And did he carry a staff and wear 
a brown robe and a broad-brimmed hat and a 
rope around his waist, like the pilgrims who 
come here so often to eat and stay all night? ” 

“ Do you suppose he wore a hair shirt, Mas- 
ter Herve, like Duke William Long-Sword?” 
asked Henri. 

“ Indeed he didn’t ,” replied old Herve with 
another laugh; “ Duke Robert wasn’t that kind! 
He put on his best clothes and went off on horse- 
back and took along quantities of good things 
to eat and ever so many people to wait on him; 
and when he got tired riding he had six black 
men to carry him in a kind of fancy bed. I 
dare say he did get tired, though,” added 
Herve, “ for it wasn’t to any of the shrines in 
Normandy that he went; no, Duke Robert had 
made up his mind to go way off to Jerusalem. 

“ Before he started he gathered the Norman 
nobles together and insisted that they promise 
to be loyal to little William; he wished them to 
consider him their overlord while he was away. 
The nobles were very proud and haughty, and 


HERVE TELLS ANOTHER STORY 75 


most of them didn’t at all like the idea of prom- 
ising loyalty to the little boy. But at last they 
consented, though some of them were very 
angry about it and said a great many disagree- 
able things behind Duke Robert’s back. 

“ Duke Robert, however, placed little Wil- 
liam in the care of his cousin, Alan of Brittany, 
and then set out on his pilgrimage. 

“ Everything about his party was very splen- 
did, and as he came near the Holy Land he had 
his horse shod with silver shoes and ordered 
them nailed on so loosely that every once in a 
while one would tumble off in the road for any- 
body to pick up who happened along. Of 
course this was a very silly thing to do, but 
Duke Robert seemed to like to do queer extrava- 
gant things. 

“ It was a long, long journey; but at last he 
reached Jerusalem and prayed at all the holy 
places, and then he started home again. But he 
never came back to Normandy, for he died on 
the w T ay. 

“ The journey had taken three years, so Wil- 
liam was ten years old when the news reached 
Normandy that his father was dead. He was a 
very friendless little boy indeed ; and before long 


76 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


his guardian, Alan of Brittany, was murdered. 
Everybody was fighting everybody else and 
there was no safety anywhere. To be sure, 
things weren’t quite so bad from Wednesday 
evenings till Monday mornings.” 

“ Why was that? ” asked one of the children. 

“ Why, that was because there was so much 
lawlessness and bloodshed that the church pro- 
claimed what was called the ‘ Truce of God,’ 
which meant that people must not rob or kill 
each other on certain days of the week. But 
between Mondays and Wednesdays,” went on 
the old man with a sigh, “ they seemed to make 
up for lost time. Of course there rs still a good 
deal of quarreling and fighting here and there in 
Normandy, but it’s nothing to what it was when 
Duke William was a boy! ” 

“ What did he do? ” asked Alan. 

“ Well, to tell the truth,” answered the old 
man, “ I don’t know how in the world the lad 
ever managed to pull along and hold his own 
against all he had to contend with ; but he did it 
somehow. I guess just because he’s a born 
ruler. When he was fifteen he demanded to be 
made a knight.” 

“ Oh, Master Herve,” exclaimed Henri, 


HERVE TELLS ANOTHER STORY 77 


“ did you know Hugh is to be made a knight and 
go with Count Bertram to Britain? ” 

“ Yes,” said Herve, “ Hugh will be twenty- 
one and has served his time as page and squire. 
But Duke William was only fifteen, remember, 
yet a brave knight he was ; and he had to be alert 
and fearless, for his enemies were all about him. 
One time he had a very narrow escape. He was 
at his castle of Valognes, and sound asleep in 
the middle of the night, when suddenly there 
came a quick knocking at his door; it was his 
fool, Goelet.” 

“His fool?” echoed one of the younger 
pages, inquiringly. 

“ Yes,” said Marie, “ I remember last year 
when the Baron of Gisors came to visit Count 
Bertram, how he brought along a funny little 
man they called his fool. He was queerly 
dressed, and had a cap all covered with bells 
like a falcon wears ! ” 

“ And it jingled all the while,” broke in 
Blanchette, “ and he carried a short stick that 
he called a bauble; it had a little head with 
donkey ears carved at one end! And he 
capered around and said anything he pleased to 
the baron, and everybody laughed at him ! ” 


78 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“ Yes,” said Herve, “ many nobles and kings 
keep such a fool, or jester, whose business it is 
to amuse them. But when William’s fool 
knocked on his door with his bauble that night, 
it wasn’t any joke. ‘Master!’ he cried, 
‘ Quick, get up ! I have just heard of a plot 
your enemies have made against you, and they 
are coming now to take you ! ’ 

“ William jumped out of bed, hurried on his 
clothes, rushed down the winding stair to the 
stable, jumped on the back of his horse and 
galloped out into the dark, off toward his strong 
castle of Falaise. 

“ All night he galloped, helter-skelter, over 
fields and ditches, any way that was the shortest 
cut to Falaise. 

“ Duke William never forgot that wild ride 
for his life ; and, long after, he had the helter- 
skelter path he had taken made into a fine road 
which is called ‘ the Duke’s Road.’ 

“ But though William was safe for a time at 
Falaise, his enemies were still plotting against 
him; and soon his cousin, Guy of Burgundy, be- 
gan to claim that he ought to be duke instead of 
William. 

“ Then William gathered together all his 


HERVE TELLS ANOTHER STORY 79 


friends he could and got the King of France to 
help him. Guy of Burgundy, collected all the 
Normans who were enemies of William and a 
great battle was fought at a place called Val-es- 
Dunes. In the end William conquered, and 
after that almost all the nobles went over to his 
side. 

“ Yes, indeed, our Duke William is a wonder- 
ful man,” repeated old Herve, “ and the great- 
est ruler Normandy has ever had.” 

“ Who will rule Normandy while he is gone 
to Britain? ” asked Alan. 

“ Why,” said Master Herve, “ I hear it said 
the Duchess Matilda will. Duke William has 
such a high opinion of his wife, the duchess, that 
he is not afraid to trust Normandy to her care.” 

“ Mother says Duchess Matilda is a wonder- 
ful woman,” said Blanchette, “ and that nobody 
can embroider so well as she can ! ” 

“ Yes,” answered Herve, “ she is a great lady. 
Duke William had a good deal of trouble to get 
her, but he was so in love with her that he won 
out in the end.” 

“Why did he have trouble to get her?” 
asked Marie. 

“ Well,” said old Herve, “ I guess she was 


80 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


willing enough, and so was her father the rich 
and powerful Count of Flanders, but it seems 
some people said she and William were relations 
and the laws of the church forbid relations to 
marry each other. I don’t believe they are 
more than fourth or fifth cousins, if that ; but at 
any rate some of William’s enemies told a dif- 
ferent story to the Pope, the head of the church, 
so for four years the lovers were kept apart. 
Then one day Duke William hurried up to his 
castle of Eu, on the border of Flanders and 
Normandy, met the Lady Matilda, and they 
were quickly married by a parish priest and then 
came to William’s palace in the city of Rouen. 
And if they had no splendid processions at their 
wedding they had plenty afterward, for all the 
way to Rouen the people cheered them and gave 
great parties for them and greeted them right 
royally. And everybody said there wasn’t a 
handsomer couple in all Normandy. 

“ The Pope was greatly displeased about it, 
but at last he forgave them, only making each 
promise to build a church as penance for getting 
married without his permission.” 

“And did they build them?” asked 
Blanchette. 


HERVE TELLS ANOTHER STORY 81 


“Yes, indeed, child!” answered Herve. 
“ Duke William and Duchess Matilda always 
keep their word. They began the churches 
right away in the city of Caen, and they are so 
fine and grand that it has taken these twenty 
years since to finish them. They built them 
right willingly though, for all Normandy knows 
that the duke and duchess love each other and 
their marriage is very happy. 

“ But run along now, children ! I have told 
you enough for one day ! ” 


CHAPTER IX 


HUGH BECOMES A KNIGHT 

The summer was wearing away and the time 
drawing near for Count Bertram to go to Dives 
to join the expedition against Britain. 

Meantime Hugh had reached his twenty-first 
birthday and was soon to become a knight. He 
had served faithfully his seven years as page and 
seven more as squire, a long and careful train- 
ing; and the final ceremony of receiving knight- 
hood was so important that it took two days to 
go through it, and the lords and ladies from sev- 
eral neighboring castles had been invited to come 
and help him celebrate. 

In the ceremony of knighting there was much 
that had a symbolic meaning; that is, that was 
meant to remind the youth of other and higher 
things. Thus, when Hugh began his prepara- 
tions, first of all two of the other squires took 
him to a special bath; and when he put off his 
ordinary clothes they laid them aside, as he was 
82 


HUGH BECOMES A KNIGHT 


83 


supposed in like way to put off his old life and 
enter the new with both a clean heart and clean 
body. 

Alan and Henri were allowed to bring his 
new garments to him; and as still another squire 
took them from the chest in the castle hall where 
they had been kept ready, the two lads looked at 
them with interest, for there were three different 
tunics, one white, one red, and one black. 

As they watched Hugh’s friends help him put 
on the white tunic first, “ Why does he put on a 
white one ? ” asked Alan. 

“ That is to symbolize the whiteness and 
purity of the life he must lead as a knight,” an- 
swered the squire. Then over the white tunic 
they put the red one, “ This,” the boys were told, 
“ is to symbolize the red blood he must be will- 
ing to shed for Christ and the defense of the 
church. And the black one which goes on last 
of all, over the red, is to signify the mystery of 
death which every man must bravely face.” 

When Hugh was thus dressed, Father Her- 
luin came and led him to the chapel of the castle 
where he must stay until the next morning. He 
must touch neither food nor drink, nor must 
he sleep when night came. He was expected to 


84 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


spend the hours in thinking over the new life he 
was about to enter, and in praying God to for- 
give his past sins and to give him strength to 
keep truly and honorably the solemn vows 
of knighthood which he would take the next 
day. 

And while Hugh watched and prayed, all the 
others were busy preparing for the morrow 
when the guests were to come; of course these 
would bring along a number of attendants, and 
a great feast was to follow the knighting. The 
long boards for the tables were scoured and so 
were the wooden trenchers and pewter cups for 
the humbler guests, while the silver flagons and 
dishes for the noble folks were polished till they 
shone. Fresh rushes were strewn on the floor, 
and plenty of logs brought in for the great fire- 
place where the cooking would go on. 

“ Oh, mother,” said Blanchette, “ isn’t your 
new tapestry finished so we can hang it up ? ” 

11 Not quite, dear,” answered Lady Gisla, 
who still had a little more to do on the hunting 
scene she had spent so much time embroidering. 

“ Oh, but it is so near done and so pretty, 
please let us put it up for to-morrow ! ” begged 
Blanchette. 


HUGH BECOMES A KNIGHT 


85 


“ Very well,” said Lady Gisla, and she gave 
orders to have the tapestry hung on the 
wall over the dais, where it looked very hand- 
some. 

Indeed, every one worked so busily and all 
were so tired when night came that they slept 
soundly, quite forgetting the young squire who 
kept his lonely vigil in the chapel. 

Hugh tried his best to keep awake and fix his 
thoughts on higher things; but sometimes his 
head would nod in spite, of himself, and then he 
would have to rouse himself with an effort and 
try to forget that he was hungry and thirsty, and 
to remember that a knight must bear all hard- 
ships unflinchingly and must never shrink from 
any honorable task. 

At last the long night wore away and the 
castle folk began to wake up. Count Bertram 
and Lady Gisla put on their best clothes and 
made ready to welcome their guests, who soon 
began to arrive. 

And while the bustle of welcome was going 
on in the courtyard and within the castle, at the 
kitchen end of the great hall the cooks were 
scurrying about in great haste. “ Rouse up, 
Towser! Hurry up, Bowser! ” they would cry 


86 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


out to the patient dogs turning the spits by the 
big fireplace. “ Faster, faster! Don’t you see 
that venison is burning? ” 

And then the poor beasts would turn back 
their ears and trot round and round, while the 
venison and woodcocks and hares and whatnot 
on the long spits sputtered and roasted and 
dripped savory juices over the glowing coals. 
“ Quick, bring me some honey and spices for 
these marchpanes,” called one of the cooks to a 
boy scullion, who ran as fast as his legs would 
carry him to the honey-pot and spice bags so that 
the sweetmeats might not be delayed. “ Here ! 
Fill this flagon with cider and bring another 
cheese from the store-room ! ” commanded an- 
other ; and so the work went busily on till all was 
ready. 

By this time all the guests had come, and the 
pages had begun to usher them to the chapel. 
Heading the procession went Count Bertram, 
who, on greeting Hugh at the chapel door, hung 
around his neck the sword which was to be his. 
When all were seated, Hugh walked slowly up 
the aisle and unbuckling the sword laid it rever- 
ently upon the altar. Then, with bowed head, 
he knelt at the feet of Father Herluin, while the 


HUGH BECOMES A KNIGHT 


87 


good priest, after praying that the sword might 
never be drawn for an unworthy cause, blessed 
both it and Hugh and said the service of the 
church. 

After this the young man was taken pos- 
session of for a few minutes by Lady Gisla and 
the noble ladies, her guests, for it was their duty 
to put on him the armor he was to wear as a 
knight. First of all they buckled on his spurs; 
and then, as Alan and Henri handed them each 
piece, they arrayed him in his hauberk, girt on 
his sword belt and set his helmet upon his head. 
Last of all, taking his sword from the altar Lady 
Gisla placed it in the scabbard at the young 
man’s side. 

When the ladies had finished their task, Hugh 
knelt before Count Bertram and solemnly prom- 
ised to keep faithfully the vows of knight- 
hood which Count Bertram repeated to him. 
There were a great many of these, the chief be- 
ing that he must fear, reverence, and serve God 
religiously, that he must be a loyal defender of 
his native land and of its ruler, that he must up- 
hold the rights of the weak, must be gentle and 
courteous to all women and succor them if in 
distress, and that he must always speak the truth 


88 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


and make any sacrifice to keep his faith and 
honor untarnished. 

When Hugh had taken the vows, and while he 
still knelt, Count Bertram drew his own sword 
from its scabbard and with the flat of it lightly 
struck him three times on the shoulder, at the 
same time pronouncing the words “ In the name 
of God and Saint Michael I dub thee knight! ” 

When Hugh rose to his feet his face beamed 
with joy to think that his long years of service 
were ended and he was at last a knight. 

There was one thing more, however, that 
must be done to finish the ceremony. For just 
as he had put on the three tunics to symbolize 
different things, so now he must mount his war- 
horse to signify that he was ready to ride forth 
to do brave and gallant deeds. 

Hugh’s young friends had already decked the 
horse in his finest trappings and led him to the 
chapel door, where Alan and Henri stood hold- 
ing his bridle on either side. 

As the company came out of the chapel the 
young knight mounted and rode several times 
around the courtyard, the horse prancing and 
stepping proudly and seeming to feel that he, 
too, had become of more importance since he 



‘“IN THE NAME OF GOD AND SAINT MICHAEL I DUB THEE 

KNIGHT. ’ ” 















1 



I, , ■, V ‘ • .* • '-'. V "f, 

• * * / v , . 1 











■ 













































HUGH BECOMES A KNIGHT 


89 


was no longer to be ridden by a mere squire, 
but would henceforth be the war-horse of a 
noble knight. 

When Hugh finally halted in front of the 
keep, and sprang to the ground, everybody 
crowded around him with smiles and good 
wishes for the new life he had entered, and then 
Count Bertram led the way to the castle hall 
and the knighting ended with a merry feast. 


CHAPTER X 

ON THE WAY TO DIVES 

It was late in August, and on almost every 
road in Normandy one might have seen soldiers 
making their way to the sea-coast town of Dives 
to join the forces of Duke William for the in- 
vasion of Britain. 

At the castle of Noireat all was ready for 
Count Bertram’s going. Several days before, 
a number of knights, who were his vassals, had 
come with their followers to go with him, and 
the castle had been overflowing with people. 
At last, when the morning came to start, there 
was a great running to and fro; squires and 
pages bustled about harnessing the horses, put- 
ting on their rosettes and plumes, and then they 
helped their masters buckle on their armor and 
spurs. Count Bertram’s had been freshly pol- 
ished, and Lady Gisla had made for him a new 
banner of blue silk on which was worked a red 
90 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


91 


two-legged dragon like that painted on his 
shield. 

As the little party said good-by, “ Oh, 
father,” cried Blanchette, clinging to him with 
tearful eyes, “don’t get hurt! Promise you 
will come back safe and sound ! ” 

And Count Bertram patted her head and kiss- 
ing her and Lady Gisla declared that he would 
come home just as soon as they had helped Duke 
William conquer Britain. 

Then all mounted their horses, Count Ber- 
tram and Hugh and the other knights riding in 
front, and after them the squires, who carried 
such baggage as was needful, while last of all 
came Alan and Henri, who were to go along as 
far as Dives, ready always to wait upon the 
others or do errands at their bidding. 

Master Herve, with trembling hands, opened 
the castle gate, and off they rode, their armor 
gleaming and their banners fluttering in the sum- 
mer sunlight. 

As the old man watched them go he shook 
his head sadly, and “ Well, well,” he muttered 
to himself, “ old Herve has seen the day when 
he didn’t have to stay behind and sit on his bench 
from morning till night ! Many’s the time I’ve 


92 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


followed Count Bertram’s father to the field ! ” 
And he blinked his eyes hard as he shut the great 
gate. 

As for Lady Gisla and the little girls, they 
climbed to the top of the very highest tower in 
the castle and there they watched the party of 
riders as they wound down the cliff and out upon 
the road, gazing until they could see no more. 

Meantime Count Bertram and the others rode 
along on their way to the town of Falaise where 
they were to pass the night. Alan and Henri, 
who had never been far from home, looked 
about with bright eyes. Here and there by the 
wayside were the little huts of peasant folks who 
had to plow and sow the fields and do all the 
hard work to raise food for their overlords, but 
who never could own any land themselves or 
even move away from the wretched places 
where they lived. The huts were rudely built of 
clay or wood, and in their doorways little chil- 
dren in bare feet and coarse homespun dresses 
stood staring at the party riding by. In the 
fields their brothers, a little older, were working 
with bent backs beside their fathers, and inside 
the huts their sisters were helping the mothers 
weave the coarse cloth for the family clothes, or 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


93 


else were stirring the pots of cabbage soup which 
was the most any of them had to eat. 

“ Dear me! ” said Alan, “ I’m glad I don’t 
have to live like those people ! ” 

“ Yes,” agreed Henri, “ it must be terribly 
dreary. I guess Father Herluin is right when 
he says we ought to be glad to learn our lessons 
and know something, for if we were peasant chil- 
dren we wouldn’t have a chance to find out any- 
thing! And they have to work all the time just 
as hard as they can, and never have nice things 
to eat or wear or any fun like we do, poor 
things ! ” 

“ Look at those washer-women! ” said Alan, 
glancing with a smile toward a group of women 
kneeling at the bank of a little stream they were 
about to cross. “ When Count Bertram and 
the others came along to ford the water the 
women stared so hard at them that some of the 
washing is floating off! ” 

And, sure enough, bobbing up and down with 
the current, sailed some pieces of linen from the 
pile of clothes which the women were washing 
in the stream, pounding them with stones and 
sousing them up and down just as they do to this 
day in Normandy. 


94 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


When the two boys looked back after cross- 
ing the ford, the women were wading out with 
long sticks and pulling back the runaway gar- 
ments. 

Sometimes they passed orchards of apples and 
pears, and “ Oh! ” cried Alan, as he sniffed the 
ripe fruit which the peasants were gathering, 
“ don’t it smell good ! I wouldn’t so much 
mind being one of those peasants ! ” 

“Yes, you would!” answered Henri, “for 
you wouldn’t dare eat all the apples and pears 
you wanted ! You would have to make most of 
them into cider for your overlord ! ” 

Now and then, perched on some steep hill, the 
towers of a tall castle would rise against the sky; 
and perhaps at the foot of the hill would nestle a 
little village with gray houses like the village of 
Noireat. 

At mid-day they all stopped in a grassy wood- 
land and rested the horses and ate some of the 
food they carried with them. 

They rode all afternoon, the road growing 
steeper and more broken till, toward sunset, it 
wound down into a picturesque ravine. On 
either side rose huge rocky crags, and “ Look! ” 
cried Henri, gazing up at a lordly castle which 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


95 


crowned one of these. “ I wonder what place 
that is? ” 

“ That is Falaise castle/’ said one of the 
squires, who was riding just ahead of Henri and 
heard his question. 

The lad looked with eager interest at the 
great strong walls and lofty tower looming 
black against the sunset sky. “ Falaise ! ” he re- 
peated. “ Why, then it must be where Duke 
William was born, and where he rode so fast 
that night his fool, Goelet, woke him up and 
warned him to fly ! ” 

“ To be sure,” said the squire, smiling at 
Henri’s eagerness, “ it’s the very place. I know 
this part of the country, for some of my kinsmen 
live near here. That castle has belonged to the 
dukes of Normandy for I don’t know how many 
years, but ever and ever so long. And down 
in the ravine is the town of Falaise; we’ll come 
to it presently. The dukes have always been 
fond of Falaise, and often come there, though 
of course they have to live most of the time in 
the city of Rouen where their palace is.” 

As the lads listened they were all the while 
riding along, and soon they came to the old 
town which, as the squire had said, lay for the 


96 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


most part in the ravine. There was a strong 
wall around it, and when they entered the gate 
they found themselves in a narrow, crooked 
street with houses close together on either side. 
Most of them were built of wood with great 
timbers showing on the outside, and all had 
peaked roofs and many gables. Here and there 
were dark little shops where cloth weavers and 
leather and metal workers displayed their wares. 
Everything, of course, was made by hand, for 
there were no machines for doing things in those 
days. 

Farther along the crooked street they passed 
the market house, which was open at all sides, 
only a heavy timber roof upheld by square 
wooden pillars. Within were many stalls where 
people sold meat and vegetables, cheese and 
apples and cider, for Normandy has always 
been a great place for apples. 

As they rode past “ I hope they have bought 
plenty here for the inn where we are to stay to- 
night, M said Henri, “ for I am dreadfully 
hungry ! ” 

“ So am I ! ” replied Alan, for the all day’s 
ride had sharpened their appetites. In a few 
minutes they came to the inn, a good-sized 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


97 


wooden house built around a courtyard, which 
they entered through a broad gateway, and soon 
the landlord was greeting them all, and his serv- 
ants were leading the knights’ horses to stalls 
while the squires and pages took care of their 
own. 

When they went in for supper the count and 
his friends were served in a room by themselves, 
while the others took their luck at the long table 
spread in the main part of the inn. The air was 
thick with smoke from a great fireplace where 
meat was roasting on a spit and the landlord’s 
wife and her maids were making omelettes in 
long-handled frying pans. 

Alan and Henri looked curiously at the 
other travelers around them as they took their 
places with a wooden trencher between them. 
Presently a boy near their own age brought them 
some meat. 

“ How do you do? ” said Alan, who always 
liked to make friends with people. 

The boy, who had a bright pleasant face, with 
a friendly look replied to Alan’s greeting and 
then went off to serve some one else. But after 
supper he came over to the bench where the 
two pages were sitting, and began to talk to them 


98 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


and to ask them where they came from. When 
they had answered his questions, they began to 
ask some themselves. 

“What is your name? Have you always 
lived in Falaise? ” inquired Alan. “ And what 
do the boys and girls in town do ? Do you go 
hunting, or to tournaments, or learn to ride or 
fight? Though I don’t quite see how you can in 
town ! ” 

“ My name is Gilles,” answered the boy, 
“ and I have always lived here. This is my 
father’s inn, and I help with the work. I can 
do lots of things, too ! I run errands and help 
wait on the table and I can take care of the 
horses, and most anything! ” he added with an 
air of pride. 

“ But what do you do for amusement? ” per- 
sisted Alan. 

“ Oh,” said Gilles, “ we play games, ball and 
hide and seek, and spin tops and sometimes a 
puppet show comes to town and we go to that.” 

“Yes,” said Henri, “we do those things at 
home. I wonder if your puppet shows are like 
the ones that come to our castle ? Last winter a 
fine one came ! The man had a box fixed up like 
a little stage and a lot of little dolls dressed like 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


99 


different people, and he moved them around 
with his fingers and pretended to talk for them.” 

“ Yes,” put in Alan, “ and a couple of them 
were dressed like knights on horseback and had 
a regular fight ! ” 

“ I saw that one! ” said Gilles, with a wise 
air. “ And ever so many others come to Fal- 
aise.” 

“ Did you ever go to a tournament? ” asked 
Henri. 

“ No,” answered Gilles vaguely, “ I don’t 
know what that is. But I’ve been lots of times 
to the Guibray fair! ” he added, his eyes bright- 
ening. 

It was now the other boys’ turn to ask, 
“ What is the Guibray fair? ” 

“ Oh,” said Gilles, “ it’s a big fair that Duke 
William started in Guibray, a little place up on 
the hill close to Falaise. There is a fine church 
there and a shrine with a Madonna that works 
miracles, and such hundreds and hundreds of 
pilgrims go there to pray that Duke William 
thought it would be a fine thing for the Guibray 
folks to have a fair; so he gave them permission 
to have one every summer in August, because 
that’s when most of the pilgrims come. It’s too 


100 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


bad you didn’t get here sooner, for it’s been over 
only about two weeks ! ” 

“ What do they do there? ” asked Alan. 

“ Well,” answered Gilles, “ they have swings, 
and games, and minstrels and jugglers, and 
shooting with bows and arrows, and then there 
are all kinds of things to buy, and more horses 
and cows than you ever saw ! ” finished the boy, 
with round eyes. 

Alan and Henri looked rather envious as they 
heard of the wonders of the Guibray fair. 
And, strangely enough, though thus started 
nearly a thousand years ago, to this day it is still 
held every August, just as Gilles described it. 

As the boys were talking, a little girl went 
through the room carrying a doll and a gray 
kitten. “ Is that your sister? ” asked Henri of 
Gilles. 

“ Yes,” answered the lad, “ and I have an- 
other older one and two brothers.” 

“ What does your sister do? Does she help 
around the house, too?” asked Henri, for the 
boys were inquisitive and interested in what kind 
of lives were led by the boys and girls in town. 

“ Yes,” answered Gilles, “ and she is learn- 
ing to spin and weave, and my older sister can 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


101 


make omelettes and roast meat as well as 
mother. She don’t like to very well, though ; she 
wants to learn to embroider and make things to 
hang on the wall like some of the rich people in 
town have. You just ought to see the grand 
houses some of the rich folks here have ! They 
have chairs that are carved, and wonderful 
worked cloth hanging on the walls, and some 
have tiles on their floors, and two of them have 
kind of holes built in the wall by the fireplace for 
the smoke to go out! I think they are called 
chimneys; Duke William’s castle has one of 
them! ” 

Alan and Henri looked rather blank as they 
heard of the holes for smoke, which seemed to 
them quite a fine idea; though we would have 
laughed at the chimneys Gilles told of, which 
were really very poor affairs and led the smoke, 
such of it as went into them, out at the side, not 
the top of the house. 

The two pages, however, said nothing about 
having none at Noireat, and Alan declared with 
a lordly air, “ Well, I guess Count Bertram has 
a chair all carved with dragons, and Lady Gisla 
can embroider tapestries as good as anybody ! ” 

“ Where do you go to church? ” asked Gilles. 


102 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“ Why, in the chapel of the castle,” answered 
Henri. 

“ Well,” said Gilles, determined to find some- 
thing better than the castle had, “ I don’t be- 
lieve it’s so big as the church of Saint Gervaise 
here in Falaise ! And our church has glass in 
the windows ! ” 

Here the boys’ talk was interrupted by the 
loud ringing of a bell. 

“What’s that?” asked Alan. 

“ That’s the bell of Saint Gervaise church 
now ! ” said Gilles. “ It’s ringing for curfew ! ” 

“ What is curfew? ” asked Henri. 

“ Why,” said Gilles in surprise, “ don’t you 
know what curfew is? I thought everybody 
knew that! We have to cover up our fire with 
ashes and put out our candles when that bell 
rings. Duke William ordered it, and father 
says it’s to make people careful that their houses 
don’t burn down at night when everybody’s 
asleep, and that it’s to make folks go to bed 
early, too, and keep out of mischief.” 

“ Well, I guess it’s meant more for you town 
people,” said Alan. “ There are more of you 
to get into mischief! And your wooden houses 
would burn down quicker than stone castles, 


ON THE WAY TO DIVES 


103 


too.” But Gilles had already run to help his 
father heap ashes over the glowing logs still 
smoldering in the fireplace, and all the travelers 
in the room began to find places on the floor or 
benches where they might pass the night. Alan 
and Henri and the squires of Count Bertram’s 
party stretched themselves out wherever they 
could, and soon everybody was asleep. 


CHAPTER XI 


WAITING FOR THE WIND 

The two pages washed their faces next morn- 
ing at the well in the courtyard, and after an 
early breakfast mounted their ponies and rode 
off with Count Bertram and the others. 

All day they rode, and at nightfall came to a 
pretty little stream. It was the river Dives, and 
close by was a village where the party passed the 
night in an inn much like that of Falaise, only 
smaller and smokier. 

The next day they followed the stream till 
late in the afternoon, when at last it spread out 
through flat meadow lands and by and by 
emptied into the sea near the old town of Dives 
where Duke William was waiting for his forces 
to gather. 

u Oh, look!” cried Henri, who was gazing 
eagerly ahead. “ Do you suppose that long 
white line is the sea? ” 

“Yes!” said Alan, with equal eagerness. 
“ And yonder must be the town of Dives.” 

104 


WAITING FOR THE WIND 


105 


And then, as they came still nearer, “ Oh, see 
the ships! And all the tents and flags and 
horses ! ” 

Everybody urged on their horses, and soon 
they had reached the gathering place and were 
looking about with wonder at the throng of sol- 
diers, and the stir and bustle everywhere going 
on. Every inn and house in the town of Dives 
was full, and of the hosts who had come to join 
Duke William, far the greater number were 
camped in the tents pitched in the grassy 
meadows between the town and the sea. 

Everywhere flags and pennons were flutter- 
ing, and so many war horses were grazing in the 
meadows that Henri, laughing, said to Alan, “ I 
guess if Gilles could see all those he wouldn’t 
think so much of that Guibray fair! ” 

“ No ! ” cried Alan. “ And wouldn’t his eyes 
get round if he could get a glimpse of those 
ships ! ” And Alan’s own eyes grew very 
round indeed as he gazed at the bright colored 
sails crowding the mouth of the river and gleam- 
ing in the distance along the edge of the sea. 

Count Bertram and his friends soon arranged 
for some tents, and the party went into camp like 
the others. Alan and Henri ran errands and 


106 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


helped all they could ; and though they were tired 
out when dark fell, they were so excited they 
could hardly sleep when not long after sunset all 
the camp-fires were covered up and quiet fell 
over the town and meadow. 

The fires were all promptly covered, for Duke 
William himself was hard by in a great timbered 
house which he had caused to be built months 
before near the river bank, as he needed a com- 
fortable place in which to stay while he attended 
to the building of his fleet. 

The next morning the two pages went to look 
at Duke William’s house (which is still stand- 
ing) , and found it very large and attractive. 

“ I wonder if that is Duke William’s de- 
vice?” said Henri, pointing to a carved stone 
lion holding his paw on a shield and looking 
down at them from the gateway. 

“ Yes,” said some one standing near, “ that 
is, part of it. You know the duke’s device is 
three lions, the same as on the flag of Nor- 
mandy; and if you stay here a little while, you 
will probably see Duke William himself. He 
generally comes out about this time.” 

The boys ventured inside the open gateway 
and into the courtyard; the house, built around 


WAITING FOR THE WIND 


107 


this, had a peaked roof and many gables and 
dormer windows, and around the second story 
ran a wooden balcony with a flight of steps lead- 
ing to the courtyard. 

Presently a door opened from one of ^he 
rooms facing the balcony, and a man stepped 
out and came down the stairway and through the 
courtyard. 

He was followed by several knights and 
pages, and when one of the latter passed near 
Alan, “Is that Duke William?” he hurriedly 
whispered. 

“ Yes,” answered the page, as he scampered 
on after the others. 

Alan and Henri followed, too, all the while 
looking hard at the duke whenever they got a 
chance. He was a tall, handsome man, strong 
and powerfully built; he had a high forehead, 
and his hair and small mustache were both 
closely cropped; but, though little over forty 
years old, his face showed stern, careworn lines, 
for Duke William’s life had been full of strug- 
gles and he had been obliged to fight his way 
from babyhood up. 

“ He looks like a duke, — don’t you think so, 
Alan? ” asked Henri. 


108 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


“Yes, indeed!” said Alan. “And he is 
•splendidly dressed, too, only I thought he would 
have on the crimson velvet mantle and big crown 
that Master Herve said dukes wear.” 

“ Well,” said Henri wisely, “ I don’t suppose 
he wants to wear those things while he is attend- 
ing to his army out here. I think he looks much 
better in what he has on.” 

The boys kept following the ducal party at a 
respectful distance, and watched with interest as 
Duke William went down to the water’s edge 
and began looking over the boats. 

“ They look a good deal like the dragon ships 
Herve told us Rolf the Ganger came in,” said 
Alan, “ only they aren’t so gayly painted as he 
said those were.” 

“ No,” said Henri, “ and I guess they are 
some bigger than his. But they have the red 
and blue sails, and long rows of oars, and are all 
curved up high at the ends and carved just like 
Herve said. I don’t see any dragons, but there 
are some with heads carved on them ! ” 

“ I see two dragons ! ” cried Alan, as with 
keen eyes he searched the high prows of the hun- 
dreds of long narrow ships crowding the river. 

As the boys watched, great quantities of salted 



“THE SHIPS FLOATED QUIETLY AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER 

Jt 


DIVES 




WAITING FOR THE WIND 


109 


meat and other provisions were stored on those 
of the ships that were set apart to carry supplies; 
and baggage and tents and weapons of all kinds 
were loaded on others. For Duke William ex- 
pected to set sail within a week at most. 

But though all the soldiers gathered and all 
was ready, still the ships floated quietly at the 
mouth of the river Dives; for there was no wind 
to swell the sails and carry them toward Britain. 
The long oars alone were not enough to take the 
heavily loaded vessels without the aid of sails, 
and no one then had even dreamed of such a 
thing as a steam-boat. 

Duke William and all the fighting men grew 
more and more impatient as windless day after 
day passed by till almost two weeks were gone. 
But though everybody else anxiously watched 
and waited for the wind, Alan and Henri could 
not help but be secretly glad of the delay. For 
as they were not old enough to go along, they 
knew that just as soon as the fleet sailed they 
would have to go back to Noireat, which would 
be very lonely and quiet. Count Bertram had 
arranged for them to return home with some 
young squires from one of the neighboring 
castles. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE DUCHESS MATILDA’S GIFT 

“ Dear me ! ” said Alan one day, while still 
the ships waited for the wind, “ won’t it seem 
tame to go back to Noireat after being here so 
long? ” 

“Yes, indeed!” said Henri, with a sigh. 
“ We surely will miss seeing all these knights 
and soldiers every day, and all the horses and 
ships ! And then at night, the fire in the castle 
won’t be half so much fun as the camp-fires here, 
even if they are put out early. And the stories 
the men have to tell about the wars they have 
been in beat old Herve’s! ” 

“ No,” said Alan, “ I don’t think they are 
better than Master Herve’s, but they are differ- 
ent. And then the minstrels here, what good 
songs they sing ! I didn’t expect though to find 
any of them in camp ! I didn’t know they ever 
went to war ! ” 

“ Oh, yes! ” said Henri, “ I heard one of the 

no 


THE DUCHESS MATILDA’S GIFT 111 


knights say that the minstrels, when they wanted 
to, could fight as well as anybody. But Duke 
William’s minstrel, Talifer, is going along just 
to sing his war songs so as to cheer on the men. 
And the knight said that Talifer is so brave and 
that he sings so well that he will probably ride 
right in front of everybody ! ” 

“He certainly sings well!” agreed Alan. 
“ You know the other day when we passed Duke 
William’s house, what a beautiful song we heard 
Talifer singing! ” 

Here the talk of the boys was cut short as 
Count Bertram called them to do some errand 
and they quickly sprang up to obey him. 

The next morning Henri awakened with a 
sigh; for there was a gusty sound without and 
the flap of the tent had blown open. 

“Do you hear that?” he asked, nudging 
Alan who slept beside him. 

“ Yes,” said Alan, dolefully rubbing his eyes, 
“ it’s that old wind! ” 

Soon it was blowing strongly, and though not 
quite in the direction wanted, Duke William de- 
cided to go along the Norman coast to a point a 
little nearer Britain; so off the ships sailed to the 
seaport town of Saint Valery. 


112 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


Alan and Henri were very disconsolate as 
they watched the last sail fade away at the rim 
of the sky. 

“ Oh, don’t you wish we were on one of those 
ships ! ” cried Alan longingly. 

“ Indeed I do ! ” answered Henri. “ It 
seems lonesome already! It wouldn’t be half 
so much fun staying here with the soldiers all 
gone, and I’d just as soon go back home ! ” 

“ Yes,” said Alan, “ but we can’t right away, 
for one of the squires of the party we are to go 
with told me a while ago that his brother, Jean, 
is sick and they don’t want to leave him alone 
here, so we are all to wait a few days till he 
gets better.” 

“ Well,” said Henri, “ I don’t see where we 
will stay, for the camps are all broken up.” 

“ Oh,” said Alan, “ I forgot to say the squire 
has arranged for us all to go over to Duke Wil- 
liam’s house. There are a couple of small 
rooms the care-taker will let us have, and his 
wife will get our meals.” 

Who will pay for us? ” asked Henri. 

“ Oh, I don’t know,” answered Alan, “ but I 
suppose Count Bertram will fix it all right when 
he comes back.” 


THE DUCHESS MATILDA’S GIFT 113 


So the little party moved over to Duke 
William’s house, where the sick squire, Jean, 
was made comfortable and soon began to im- 
prove under the nursing of the care-taker’s 
wife. 

As Henri had said, everything seemed very 
quiet and deserted after the sailing of the fleet. 
But though at first the boys hardly knew what to 
do with themselves, they soon found plenty of 
entertainment in wandering about the old town 
and along the edge of the sea, which was a never 
ending wonder to them. 

Thus several days passed; and then one morn- 
ing word came to Dives that the fleet was again 
becalmed at Saint Valery, waiting vainly for 
favoring winds. At this news one of the young 
squires exclaimed, “ Let us ride over to Saint 
Valery! I don’t believe it is so very far away, 
and I think by hard riding we could reach it in 
a day. Let us go over and see what they are 
doing there ! ” 

“All right!” cried the others eagerly, and 
“ May we go, too? ” Henri made haste to ask. 

“ Yes,” said the squire, “ we’ll all go! Jean 
is better, and the care-takers will look after him 
till we get back.” 


114 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


So, getting their horses and ponies ready as 
quickly as possible, off they started for Saint 
Valery. 

It proved to be a three days’ ride instead of 
one, but youth and good spirits, and a little 
money they managed to muster, carried them 
through, and it was a tired but happy little party 
that reached Saint Valery at nightfall the third 
day. Wrapping their riding cloaks about 
them, they lay down on the ground and slept 
soundly till morning. 

When they awakened, they found much the 
same scene as had been at Dives. Tents and 
soldiers, knights and war-horses and ships, and 
great numbers of the people of Saint Valery 
coming and going among the throng. 

The two pages had some trouble finding 
Count Bertram and Hugh among so many, but 
at last they did. 

“ Ho! ” said Count Bertram, staring at them 
in surprise, “ where did you young rascals drop 
from ? I thought you were home by this 
time ! ” 

He smiled when the boys hurriedly explained 
to him how they had come. “ Well, well,” he 
said, “ I am glad enough to see you and only 


THE DUCHESS MATILDA’S GIFT 115 


wish I could take you along! Meantime you 
can make yourselves useful here.” 

And he and Hugh between them soon found a 
number of things for them to do. 

So ten days more passed. Then at last the 
east wind came. 

Oh, what rejoicing there was then among all 
those warriors ! and what a hurrying and scurry- 
ing to get back in the ships everything that had 
been taken ashore during the long wait! 
Horses neighed and whinnied and pranced as 
they were being led aboard, silken banners and 
pennons were set flying from every mast, men in 
armor, men with cross-bows, glittering spears 
and lances and shining battle-axes, all were 
crowded on the long ships, as the sun shone and 
sparkled and the people on shore ran to and fro 
bringing this and that thing to the water’s edge., 

Then all at once some one noticed a strange 
ship on the horizon. Its curving, gayly colored 
sails gleamed bright and billowy in the brilliant 
morning light as faster and faster it sped into 
the harbor of Saint Valery. And then, nearing 
the fleet, proudly it came to shore just as every- 
thing was ready and Duke William was about to 
embark on the ship he had chosen for his own. 


116 OUR LITTLE NORMAN COUSIN 


As the people gazed at the beautiful new 
vessel, so much finer than any there, a great 
shout of admiration went up. “ The Mora! ” 
they cried, reading the name painted in bright 
colors on the side of the ship. And then on the 
flag, waving from the top of the mast, they saw 
embroidered the three lions of Normandy, and 
“ The duke’s ship ! ” everybody shouted. 

But Duke William himself was staring at it in 
utter bewilderment. He stared at its beautiful 
shape, at its lion flag, and, most of all, he stared 
at the carved and gilded figure-head at its high 
prow. For this was the image of no other than 
his own little son William, his name-sake and 
favorite child. The golden boy grasped in one 
hand a bow and arrow, and with the other held 
to his lips an ivory trumpet which he seemed in 
the act of blowing. 

As Duke William stood, the picture of amaze- 
ment, a richly clad lady was seen near the mast 
of the ship, and in another moment his lips 
parted in a joyful smile as “ The Duchess 
Matilda! Hurrah, hurrah!” burst from a 
thousand throats about him. 

It was indeed the Duchess Matilda, who as a 
surprise for the duke, had ordered the beautiful 


THE DUCHESS MATILDA’S GIFT 117 


new ship built for his special use, and she had 
come with it because she wanted to have the 
pleasure of presenting it to him herself. 

As for Duke William, he was overjoyed, and 
declared the gallant way in which the Mora had 
sailed into harbor was a good omen for his un- 
dertaking. At once he ordered all his own 
things taken from the ship he had meant to use 
and placed on the fine new one. 

When once more all was ready, and Duke 
William had taken leave of Duchess Matilda, 
and every one had said good-by to their friends, 
the anchors were drawn up, the sails set for 
Britain, music played, people cheered and 
shouted, and away went the fleet and the fearless 
army which was to help Duke William earn the 
name of “ the Conqueror ” and win for him the 
crown of Britain. 

Alan and Henri, standing at the edge of the 
water, shaded their eyes with their hands and 
looked and looked as the countless swelling sails 
fluttered out to sea. And as the last gleam 
from the Mora faded from sight, they fancied 
that from the ivory horn of the golden boy upon 
its prow there echoed back a brave “ Good-by ! 
— Good-by ! ” 


I 


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Ada Clendenin Williamson. 

Large 12mo, decorative cover . . . $1.50 

“ An amusing, original book, written for the benefit of 
very small children. It should be one of the most popular 
of the year’s books for reading to small children.” — 
Buffalo Express. 

THE SANDMAN: MORE FARM STORIES 

By William J. Hopkins. 

Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 
Mr. Hopkins’s first essay at bedtime stories met with 
such approval that this second book of “ Sandman ” tales 
was issued for scores of eager children. Life on the farm, 
and out-of-doors, is portrayed in his inimitable manner. 

THE SANDMAN: HIS SHIP STORIES 

By William J. Hopkins, author of “ The Sandman: 
His Farm Stories,” etc. 

Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 
“ Children call for these stories over and over again.” — 
Chicago Evening Post. 

A — 6 


BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 


THE SANDMAN, HIS SEA STORIES 

By William J. Hopkins. 

Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 
Each year adds to the popularity of this unique series 
of stories to be read to the little ones at bed time and at 
other times. 

THE DOCTOR’S LITTLE GIRL 

By Marion Ames Taggart, author of ■“ Pussy-Cat 
Town,” etc. 

One vol., library 12mo, illustrated . . $1.50 

A thoroughly enjoyable tale of a little girl' and her com- 
rade father, written in a delightful vein of sympathetic 
comprehension of the child’s point of view. 

SWEET NANCY 

The Further Adventures of the Doctor’s Little 
Girl. By Marion Ames Taggart. 

One vol., library, 12mo, illustrated . $1.50 

In the new book, the author tells how Nancy becomes 
in fact “ the doctor’s assistant,” and continues to shed 
happiness around her. 

THE CHRISTMAS-MAKERS’ CLUB 

By Edith A. Sawyer. 

12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 

A delightful story for girls, full of the real spirit of 
Christmas. It abounds in merrymaking and the right 
kind of fun. 

CARLOTA 

A Story of the San Gabriel Mission. By Frances 
Margaret Fox. 

Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated and decorated 
in colors by Ethelind Ridgway . . . $1.00 

“ It is a pleasure to recommend this little story as an 
entertaining contribution to juvenile literature.” — The 
New York Sun. 

THE SEVEN CHRISTMAS CANDLES 

By Frances Margaret Fox. 

Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
rated in colors by Ethelind Ridgway . . $1.00 

Miss Fox’s new book deals with the fortunes of the de- 
lightful Mulvaney children. 

A — 7 


L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S 


PUSSY-CAT TOWN 

By Marion Ames Taggart. 

Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
rated in colors $1.00 

“ Anything more interesting than the doings of the cats 
in this story, their humor, their wisdom, their patriotism, 
would be hard to imagine.” — Chicago Post. 

THE ROSES OF SAINT ELIZABETH 

By Jane Scott Woodruff. 

Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and decorated 
in colors by Adelaide Everhart . . $1 .00 

This is a charming little story of a child whose father was 
caretaker of the great castle of the Wartburg, where Saint 
Elizabeth once had her home. 

GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK 

By Evaleen Stein. 

Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
rated in colors by Adelaide Everhart . . $1 .00 

Gabriel was a loving, patient, little French lad, who 
assisted the monks in the long ago days, when all the books 
were written and illuminated by hand, in the monasteries. 

THE ENCHANTED AUTOMOBILE 

Translated from the French by Mary J. Safford 
Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
rated in colors by Edna M. Sawyer $1.00 

“ An up-to-date French fairy-tale which fairly radiates 
the spirit of the hour, — unceasing diligence.” — Chicago 
Record-Herald. 

O-HEART-SAN 

The Story of a Japanese Girl. By Helen Eggles- 
ton Haskell. 

Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
rated in colors by Frank P. Fairbanks . $1.00 

“ The story comes straight from the heart of Japan. 
The shadow of Fujiyama lies across it and from every 
page breathes the fragrance of tea leaves, cherry blossoms 
and chrysanthemums.” — The Chicago Inter-Ocean, 

A — 8 


BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 


THE YOUNG SECTION-HAND: Or, The Adven- 
tures of Allan West. By Burton E. Stevenson. 
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 

Mr. Stevenson’s hero is a manly lad of sixteen, who is 
given a chance as a section-hand on a big Western rail- 
road, and whose experiences are as real as they are thrilling. 

THE YOUNG TRAIN DISPATCHER. By Bur- 
ton E. Stevenson. 

Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 

“ A better book for boys has never left an American 
press.” — Springfield Union. 

THE YOUNG TRAIN MASTER. By Burton E. 

Stevenson. 

Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 

“ Nothing better in the way of a book of adventure for 
boys in which the actualities of life are set forth in a practi- 
cal way could be devised or written.” — Boston Herald. 

CAPTAIN JACK LORIMER. By Winn Stand ish. 
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 

Jack is a fine example of the all-around American high- 
school boy. 

JACK LORIMER’S CHAMPIONS: Or, Sports on 
Land and Lake. By Winn Standish. 

Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 

“ It is exactly the sort of book to give a boy interested 
in athletics, for it shows him what it means to always 
‘ play fair.’ ” — Chicago Tribune. 

JACK LORIMER’S HOLIDAYS: Or, Millvale 
High in Camp. By Winn Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

Full of just the kind of fun, sports and adventure to 
excite the healthy minded youngster to emulation. 

JACK LORIMER’S SUBSTITUTE : Or. The Act- 
ing Captain of the Team. By Winn Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

On the sporting side, this book takes up football, wres- 
tling, tobogganing, but it is more of a school story perhaps 
than any of its predecessors. 

— 9 


L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S 


CAPTAIN JINKS: The Autobiography of a Shet- 
land Pony. By Frances Hodges White. 

Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 

The story of Captain Jinks and his faithful dog friend 
Billy, their quaint conversations and their exciting 
adventures, will be eagerly read by thousands of boys and 
girls. The story is beautifully written and will take its 
place alongside of “ Black Beauty ” and “ Beautiful Joe.” 

THE RED FEATHERS. By Theodore Roberts. 
Cloth decorative, illustrated . . $1.50 

“ The Red h eathers ” tells of the remarkable adventures 
of an Indian boy who lived in the Stone Age, many years 
ago, when the world was young. 

FLYING PLOVER. By Theodore Roberts. 

Cloth decorative. Illustrated by Charles Livingston 

Bull $1.00 

Squat-By-The-Fire is a very old and wise Indian who 
lives alone with her grandson, “ Flying Plover,” to whom 
she tells the stories each evening. 

THE WRECK OF THE OCEAN QUEEN. By 

James Otis, author of “ Larry Hudson’s Ambition,” etc. 
Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 

“ A stirring story of wreck and mutiny, which boys will 
find especially absorbing. The many young admirers of 
James Otis will not let this book escape them, for it fully 
equals its many predecessors in excitement and sustained 
interest.” — Chicago Evening Post . 

LITTLE WHITE INDIANS. By Fannie E. Os- 
trander. 

Cloth decorative, illustrated .... $1.25 

“ A bright, interesting story which will appeal strongly 
to the ‘ make-believe ’ instinct in children, and will 
give them a healthy, active interest in ‘the simple life.’” 

MARCHING WITH MORGAN. How Donald 
Lovell Became a Soldier of the Revolution. 
By John L. Veasy. 

Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 

This is a splendid boy’s story of the expedition of 
Montgomery and Arnold against Quebec. 

A— 10 


BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 


COSY CORNER SERIES 

It is the intention of the publishers that this series shall 
contain only the very highest and purest literature, — 
stories that shall not only appeal to the children them- 
selves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with 
them in their joys and sorrows. 

The numerous illustrations in each book are by well- 
known artists, and each volume has a separate attract- 
ive cover design. 

Each 1 vol., 16mo, cloth $0.50 

By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON 

THE LITTLE COLONEL (Trade Mark.) 

The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its hero- 
ine is a small girl, who is known as the Little Colonel, 
on account of her fancied resemblance to an old-school 
Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and old family 
are famous in the region. 

THE GIANT SCISSORS 

This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures in 
France. Joyce is a great friend of the Little Colonel, 
and in later volumes shares with her the delightful ex- 
periences of the “ House Party ” and the “ Holidays.” 

TWO LITTLE KNIGHTS OF KENTUCKY 

Who Were the Little Colonel’s Neighbors. 

In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an 
old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is not, 
however, the central figure of the story, that place being 
taken by the “ two little knights.” 

MILDRED’S INHERITANCE 

A delightful little story of a lonely English girl who 
comes to America and is befriended by a sympathetic 
American family who are attracted by her beautiful 
speaking voice. By means of this one gift she is en- 
abled to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the 
use of her eyes, and thus finally her life becomes a busy, 
happy one. 

A — 11 


» 


L. C. PAGE dr- COMPANY'S 


By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON ( Continued ) 

CICELY AND OTHER STORIES FOR GIRLS 

The readers of Mrs. Johnston’s charming juveniles 
will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for young 
people. 

AUNT ’LIZA’S HERO AND OTHER STORIES 

A collection of six bright little stories, which will appeal 
to all boys and most girls. 

BIG BROTHER 

A story of two boys. The devotion and care of Stephen, 
himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the theme of 
the simple tale. 

OLE MAMMY’S TORMENT 

“ Ole Mammy’s Torment ” has been fitly called “ a 
classic of Southern life.” It relates the haps and mis- 
haps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by 
love and kindness to a knowledge of the right. 

THE STORY OF DAGO 

In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago, 
a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. Dago 
tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mis- 
haps is both interesting and amusing. 

THE QUILT THAT JACK BUILT 

A pleasant little story of a boy’s labor of love, and how 
it changed the course of his life many years after it was 
accomplished 

FLIP’S ISLANDS OF PROVIDENCE 

A story of a boy’s life battle, his early defeat, and his 
final triumph, well worth the reading. 

A — 12 


BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 


THE SANDMAN SERIES 

By William J. Hopkins 
Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per 
volume $1.50 

THE SANDMAN: His Farm Stories. 

“ Mothers and fathers and land elder sisters who take 
the little ones to bed and rack their brains for stories will 
find this book a treasure.” — • Cleveland Leader. 

THE SANDMAN : More Farm Stories. 

“ Children will call for these stories over and over 
again.” — Chicago Evening Post. 

THE SANDMAN : His Ship Stories. 

“ Little ones will understand and delight in the stories 
and their parents will read between the lines and recognize 
the poetic and artistic work of the author.” — Indianap- 
olis News. 

THE SANDMAN: His Sea Stories. 

“ Once upon a time there was a man who knew little 
children and the kind of stories they liked, so he wrote 
four books of Sandman’s stories, all about the farm or 
the sea, and the brig Industry, and this book is one of 
them.” — Canadian Congregationalist. 

THE ALYS SERIES 

By Una MacDonald 

Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per 
volume $1.50 

ALYS - ALL - ALONE 

“So real it touches the heart-strings.” — Springfield 
Union. 

ALYS IN HAPPYLAND 

“ One cannot read this book without feeling that its 
author intends that we may see and understand and feel 
more deeply, and, perhaps, more joyously.” — New York 
Observer. 

A— 13 


THE PAGE COMPANY’S 


THE BOYS’ STORY OF THE 
ARMY SERIES 

By Florence Kimball Russel 

BORN TO THE BLUE 

12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.25 

“ The story deserves warm commendation and genuine 
popularity.” — Army and Navy Register. 

IN WEST POINT GRAY 

12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 

“ One of the best books that deals with West Point.” — 
New York Sun. 

FROM CHEVRONS TO SHOULDER- 
STRAPS 

“ The life of a cadet at West Point is portrayed very 
realistically.” — The Hartford Post, Hartford , Conn. 

By OTHER AUTHORS 

THE PRINCESS AND THE CLAN 

By Margaret R. Piper, author of “ Sylvia’s Experiment; 
The Cheerful Book.” 

Trade Mark 

12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated by John Goss . $1.50 
A delightful story of the doings of five boys — the Clan — 
and one little girl — the Princess. 

THE ISLAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE 

By Blanche E. Wade. 

12mo, cloth decorative, with eight plates in full color 
and many text illustrations by Emma Troth . $1.50 

“ The story is one that cannot fail to highly entertain the 
children.” — Denver Tribune , Denver , Col. 

PLANTATION STORIES OF OLD LOUISI- 
ANA 

By Andrews Wilkinson. 

12mo, cloth decorative, with twenty-two full page 
plates and many other illustrations by Charles 
Livingston Bull . . Net, $2.00; carriage paid , $2.20 

“ It is an excellent contribution to Southern literature.” 
— New Orleans Times-Picayune. 

A— 14 
























